Estoque e descarte de medicamentos no domicílio: uma revisão sistemática

Abstract

This study's objective was to analyze Brazilian and international scientific evidence on the reasons people store medication at home and the disposal methods used. This systematic literature review includes studies published from 2001 to 2016 and indexed in PubMed, Lilacs and Elsevier's Scopus Database, using the following key words: Disposal of medicines in household, Disposal of drugs expired, Residential expired drugs, Management of expired medications in household. Thirty-three studies were selected after applying inclusion and exclusion criteria. The studies reveal that the main reasons people keep a stock of medicines at home include the possibility of future use, leftovers from previous treatments, and self-medication. Inappropriate disposal methods prevail, such as throwing medicines in the household trash or flushing them into the sewer. Some countries have adopted programs to educate on proper storage and disposal of medicines, though only one study describes a national program guiding these practices that is free of charge. Evidence shows there is a need to implement public policies intended to provide guidance on the proper storage and disposal of medicines at home.

Pharmaceutical Pollution and Disposal of Expired, Unused, and Unwanted Medicines in the Brazilian Context

“…Invariably, medicines purchased and maintained by consumers are unintentionally accumulated in their homes and become useless for different reasons, like expired date, the excessive amount due to changes in the treatment or dosage regime, prescription in excess or excessive dosage, preservation for presumable usage in the future, over-the-counter medicine retailers and leftover from finished treatment, to mention a few [70]. Indeed, in most places of the world, these leftovers are commonly and inappropriately discarded by citizens in the ordinary garbage and sewers, as lack of own personal attention, lack of understanding, knowledge, and education, or even by absence of proper governmental and healthcare authorities' directions and regulations [11].…”

Análise do conhecimento de estudantes de uma faculdade particular do interior da Bahia acerca do descarte correto de medicamentos

“…Um dos motivos para ocorrer o estoque de medicamentos em suas residências são as sobras de prescrições anteriores, a falta de adesão ou a troca do tratamento estão entre elas. No estudo de Vatovec et al (2017) foi relatado que o motivo mais comum pelos quais os entrevistados terem sobras de medicamentos foi que eles usaram o medicamento até se sentirem melhor e então pararam de usá-lo (Constantino et al, 2018).…”

“…A Tabela 3 traz a informação de como os entrevistados fazem os descartes dos seus medicamentos. No estudo realizado por Constantino et al, (2018), as formas de descarte de medicamentos em domicílio são, no lixo comum, rede de esgoto, diretamente ao solo, colocando fogo e algumas pessoas devolviam para os estabelecimentos. Se assemelhando aos resultados obtidos pela pesquisa, na qual a maioria da forma de descarte também é no lixo e vaso sanitário.…”

“…Por serem compostos biológicos, a degradação do fármaco é rápida e fácil, e quando entram em contato com o meio causa danos as várias formas de vida do ambiente. Desta maneira os descartes destes insumos devem ser de maneira consciente e no lugar correto, para que os danos ao meio ambiente sejam amenizados (Constantino et al, 2018;Sousa et al, 2020).…”

Importância Dos Medicamentos Sintéticos E/Ou Fitoterápicos No Tratamento Paliativo De Pacientes Com Covid-19

“…Difficulty organizing medications was among the most cited problems related to therapy identified in this study. Drug storage and organization are of paramount importance in avoiding reduced drug effectiveness and in facilitating patient understanding of treatments (CONSTANTINO et al, 2020). The simple act of routinely storing drugs in an appropriate place can help make patients feel as active participants in the management of their therapy, which in turn improves adherence rates.…”