Synapse
⌘+K
Synapse
PulseExploreClubsResearchersJournals
Instagram
HomeClubsExplore
August 30, 2026BMC Public HealthOpen Access

Household disposal practices of unused and expired medicines in a rural district of Ghana: a cross-sectional study in Nsawkaw

View Full Paper
Ask AI
Bookmark
Share

Authors

YFYaa Gyaa FynnYBYaw Manu BoatengMUMustapha Bin Usman

Discussion

Loading...

Member takes

Overview

Cross-sectional study reveals widespread unsafe disposal of unused medicines in rural households, highlighting the need for take-back systems and consumer education.

Key Points

  • To evaluate community knowledge regarding unused and expired medicine disposal, document household disposal practices, and identify factors influencing disposal decisions in a rural district of Ghana.
  • Conducted a community-based cross-sectional survey among N=260 household respondents in Nsawkaw, Tain District, Ghana.
  • Employed multistage sampling comprising electoral area clustering followed by systematic household selection.
  • Analyzed knowledge, disposal practices, and underlying determinants using descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression in SPSS.
  • Household garbage was the predominant disposal method (74.2%), while 8.5% flushed medicines into toilets or sinks and only 0.8% returned them to a pharmacy.
  • Knowledge deficits were prevalent, with 53.5% unaware that expired medicines constitute medical waste and 60.8% unaware of package leaflet disposal guidance.
  • Multiple linear regression identified inadequate knowledge (beta = 0.521, p < 0.001) and lack of a disposal protocol (beta = 0.297, p = 0.001) as the strongest predictors of disposal choices.

Cite This Study

Fynn et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a93efe56c1a8fb52e79be50https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-026-29222-y
View Full Paper
Ask AI
Bookmark
Share

Also Consider

Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context:

  1. 1Disposal of Unused and Expired Medicines in a Take‐Back‐Unwanted‐Medicines (TBUM) Site in Ghana: A Cross‐Sectional Study2026
  2. 2Pharmaceutical Waste Disposal: A Cross‐Sectional Survey of Disposal Practices and Awareness in Sefwi Wiawso Municipality, Ghana2025
  3. 3Disposal of unused and expired medications: A study of knowledge, attitudes, and practices among community pharmacy visitors2025 · 7 citations
  4. 4Evaluation of Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices for Disposing of Unused and Expired Medicines in Households in the Boma Health Zone in the Democratic Republic of Congo2024
  5. 5Household disposal of unused and expired medications in Bahir Dar City, Northwest Ethiopia: Knowledge, attitudes, practices, and factors associated with good disposal practices2026