Evaluation of pharmaceutical waste and wastewater management in health facilties
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Date
2021-03-17
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Kamuzu University of Health Sciences
Abstract
Type of study/Place of study: This is a descriptive cross sectional design study, which will
involve structured questionnaires, face to face interviews and direct observation by investigators.
The study will be conducted in six health facilities in Blantyre.
Background and Introduction:
Pharmaceutical waste is any waste which contains expired, spilt, unused and contaminated
pharmaceutical products like drugs and vaccines. It also includes vials, bottles, IV bags/tubing,
oral medications, ointments, creams and other items that are used in handling pharmaceuticals.
Pharmaceutical wastewater is defined as water that is not clean because it has already been used
in the pharmaceuticals. The management practices of these wastes involve a series of processes
from segregation; treatment; storage; transportation and final disposal of the waste through
landfills, incineration, sewer, burning in open containers. Pharmaceutical waste and wastewater
produced in health facilities pose a risk to health of the public and the environment. However,
there is paucity of information on the management and disposal practices by the health facilities
in Blantyre.
Study Objectives: The main objective of the study is to evaluate the pharmaceutical waste and
wastewater management practices in health facilities in Blantyre. The specific objectives are to:
i) determine the existing pharmaceutical waste methods and practices used in the selected health
facilities, ii) assess the application and compliance of policies and guidelines on pharmaceutical
waste and wastewater by health workers, and iii) identify resources used in pharmaceutical waste
management.
Methodology: The study will be conducted in six health facilities in Blantyre, three in rural
health facilities and three in urban health facilities. Health workers in the selected health
facilities will be identified by a purposive sampling method and interviewed. The survey will
seek to identify the resources used for waste management, health workers’ knowledge of
pharmaceutical waste methods and practices and bottlenecks for waste handling in the facilities.
Data Management and Dissemination: The quantitative data will be entered into Microsoft
excel, this data will be processed into graphs, tables and charts. The research results will be
disseminated through oral presentation to the Pharmacy Department College of Medicine and the
final project report will be submitted to COMREC, Pharmacy department, College of Medicine
library and academic staff.
Expected Findings: It is hypothesized that the majority of the selected health facilities will
have poor pharmaceutical waste and waste water management practices because of inadequate
human resources, finances, inadequate infrastructure like incinerators and lack of knowledge of
the personnel on proper handling of these wastes.
Description
Keywords
Research Subject Categories::MEDICINE