Avaliação do conhecimento sobre o descarte de medicamentos por alunos do curso de farmácia de uma instituição de ensino superior na região metropolitana de Goiânia - Go

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Scientific innovation in the development of various pharmaceutical formulas and the sharp and competitive growth of the market has made the drug easy to purchase by the population, generating the so-called “home pharmacy”. The accumulation of medications for multiple causes has become a matter of concern, since most of these are discarded improperly. Thus, residues of certain drugs can be found in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems in different concentrations due to bioaccumulation. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the level of prior knowledge of Pharmacy students of a Higher Education Institution in the metropolitan region of Goiânia, Goiás, regarding the use, storage and disposal of

medicines. METHODOLOGY: The evaluation was done by means of a self- administered digital questionnaire via e-mail to the students of a Higher Education

Institution in the metropolitan region of Goiânia, Goiás. Seventy students from the first to the tenth period of the Pharmacy course participated in the study. RESULTS: It was possible to identify that the predominant profile among the participants was female, between 18 and 25 years old, studying between the first and third periods. It was observed that 56.3% of the participants have a home pharmacy and store their medications in the kitchen. In addition, 69.0% of the participants usually check the expiration date of their medications. As for the place of disposal, 80.3% said they knew the correct place for this action. 91.6% reported knowing the social and environmental impact of the incorrect disposal of medicines. On the other hand, 43.7% of the students, despite showing to have knowledge on the subject, reported disposing of the medication inappropriately. Regarding the lack of knowledge about the correct disposal, 46.5% said that this fact is a variable that influences the incorrect handling and that the pharmacist has a fundamental role in the orientation about the most adequate practices. FINAL CONSIDERATIONS: It was found that most of the students have a home pharmacy and also showed some knowledge about the correct form for disposal and the damage it represents. However, in face of the results demonstrated by the study, it is noted that it is necessary to develop, from the beginning of the undergraduate course, activities that provide greater knowledge and mastery with regard to medications.