Household Disposal of Medications as a Pathway of Environmental Contamination in the Kingdom of Bahrain

Abstract

Background: Unused and expired medications are continuously disposed of through toilets, drain, and household trash. This is potentially dangerous and polluting, posing risks to public health and the environment. Objective: This study investigated public awareness in the Kingdom of Bahrain regarding contamination of the environment by pharmaceutical waste and assessed patterns of household medication disposal as well as factors influencing the chosen disposal practice. Methods: A cross-sectional study was designed, using a self-administered online questionnaire that was sent publicly to all people living in Bahrain and aged above 18 years, through social media platforms. Results: The questionnaire was completed by a total of 450 participants; of whom 421 were Bahrainis (93.6%) and 29 were non-Bahrainis (6.4%). Almost two-thirds (60.9%) of the participants had good knowledge regarding environmental contamination by pharmaceutical wastes. The majority (73.3%) of the participants discarded the leftover medications in the household trash, and only 12.0% of them returned them to the pharmacy. More than three-quarters (79.6%) of the participants did not check if a disposal method was mentioned on the medication's packaging. Interestingly, most of the participants (85.1%) declared to be willing to participate in pharmaceutical waste minimizing programs if applied in the Kingdom of Bahrain. Conclusion: Environmental contamination by pharmaceutical waste can considerably be resolved by improving public awareness of household disposal of medications and stimulating their willingness to participate in pharmaceutical waste management interventions if established in the future.