Assessment of the collection of expired and unused household medicines discarded by consumers in pharmacies and drugstores in Minas Gerais, Brazil

Abstract

Pharmaceutical establishments can contribute to the collection of household medicines discarded by the population. However, there is no dimension of these initiatives in Minas Gerais (MG), Brazil. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate and describe the coverage of collection of expired or unused household medicines discarded by consumers carried out in pharmacies and drugstores in MG state. A cross-sectional study was carried out, using an online questionnaire completed by MG pharmacists. A total of 439 valid responses were obtained from 189 MG cities. The existence of a collection point was identified in 45.6% of establishments. The main reasons attributed to this existence were the need to comply with municipal legislation (45.2%) and voluntary collection (40.8%). The vast majority collected less than 5 kg of medication/month, with an estimated monthly average of 2.6 kg per establishment. After collection, most performed the separation of medicines according to the classification of the Groups (30.6%) and sent to incineration (49.0%). No difficulties or problems related to the existence of the collection point were identified for 82.0% of respondents. Among the establishments that do not have a collection point, the main reasons for the absence were the cost related to the final destination (49.8%) and the low demand on the part of the population (23.5%). This study provided an important overview of the collection of household medicines discarded by consumers in pharmaceutical establishments in MG, Brazil. It is important to increase the environmental awareness of professionals and consumers