Level of Knowledge and Practices of Medications Waste Disposal among Community Pharmacies' Staff in Salahaddin Governorate of Iraq

Background: Improper disposal of pharmaceutical waste products poses environmental and public health risks. Objective: To assess the level of knowledge and practices of disposal of unused or expired pharmaceutical medications among the staff of community pharmacies. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in different cities of Salahaddin Governorate, Iraq, during November 2023 to May 2024. Primary inclusion criteria included any person who worked in a community pharmacy for at least 1 year. Data was collected with a pretested structured questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistical methods. Results: A total of 309 subjects completed the questionnaire; of them, 46.6%, 44.7%, and 8.7% were pharmacists, pharmacist assistants, and pharmacy students, respectively. Their mean age was 29.1 years with a duration of experience of 5.1 years. The majority (96.1%) discarded various pharmaceutical dosage form products in a general rubbish bin. Disposing of various anti-infective agents and controlled substances directly in the general rubbish bin was reported by 89.4% and 61.42%, respectively. Alternatively, the return-back method of various antineoplastic agents was the common method of disposal reported by 71.8% of the participants. The duration of experience had a significant effect on the method of disposal of controlled substances, while the age of participants had a significant effect on the disposal method of various antineoplastics. Conclusions: Community pharmacies' staff had a relatively poor level of knowledge and practice regarding drug waste disposal methods. More efforts are needed to educate them about the proper disposal of medications.