Aims Many concerns arise from the improper disposal of medications, which is associated with a negative impact on health and wildlife. The majority of the consumers of pharmaceutical products remain unaware of the procedures of disposal of unused or expired medicines. This study aimed to explore the practices of Jordanian individuals regarding the disposal and storage of unused or expired medications. Methods A cross‐sectional study was conducted in Jordan for the period between July and November 2019 of patients who reported having unused, leftover or expired medications in their homes. The questionnaire tool was constructed based on a number of studies concerning medication recycling and international guidelines about correct and safe disposal of expired, unwanted or unused medication. Results A total of 1092 participants were included in the study. Their mean age was 32.4 (SD = 13.6) years and 56.8% (n = 620) were males. More than half of the participants (58.1%, n = 634) reported that they had unused, leftover or expired medications in their homes. The bedroom, kitchen and store room were the three most commonly reported places for the storage of unused, leftover or expired medications. The pharmacist was the main source for information regarding the storage of medications. The three most common reasons reported by the participants regarding having unused/leftover medications at home were change or discontinuation by the doctor (29.4%), self‐discontinuation as the illness symptoms improved or resolved (28.2%) and forgetfulness (25.1%). Conclusion A high percentage of the Jordanian population improperly handles their unused, leftover or expired medications. More restrictions are needed on the prescribing and dispensing of medications by the authorities concerned and there is a need to establish public guidelines regarding the use and correct disposal of pharmaceuticals.
Objectives: Pharmacists’ responsibilities have become more patient-oriented so exploring patients’ satisfaction would lead to identifying and improving the quality of pharmaceutical services. The aim of the present study was to assess patients’ satisfaction with pharmaceutical services in Jordan Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between December 2018 and April 2019. Patients’ satisfaction was assessed using three subscales; managing therapy, interpersonal relationship, and general satisfaction, in addition, to the socio-demographic questionnaire. Participants were asked about the degree of their satisfaction with the pharmaceutical services in all subscales’ questions using a 5-point Likert scale. Results: A total of 1,333 patients participated in the study. The mean patient age was 32.4 years (SD = 11.6)52.5% (n = 700) were female. Patients had a good satisfaction score for overall pharmaceutical services with a mean score of 51.4 ± 11.4 out of 70. Among the subscales, the interpersonal relationship subscale showed a satisfaction score of 75.7% while the other two subscales (general satisfaction and managing therapy) showed slightly lower scores with 75.0% and 69.6%, respectively. Having good health and governmental or military health insurance, visiting the pharmacy more frequently, and dispensing medications from governmental hospitals, primary healthcare centers, or military hospital pharmacies were important predictors of better patient satisfaction with pharmaceutical services (p < 0.05). Conclusions: This study presents some nationwide patient-reported outcomes about patient satisfaction in general pharmacy settings in Jordan. Focusing on patients’ satisfaction while providing pharmaceutical services is needed.
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