Diagnóstico de conhecimentos e práticas dos usuários de unidades básicas de saúde quanto ao descarte de medicamentos na cidade de Timon-Ma.

Abstract

Improper disposal of medicines can result in negative impacts on the environment and public health. In the city of Timon, vulnerabilities in water supply, waste collection and sewage strategies can create situations that facilitate contamination by discarded medicines. This contamination attributed to improper disposal results from the excretion of metabolites, which are not eliminated in the sewage treatment process, causing extremely serious negative environmental impacts. This research aims to survey the knowledge and practices of users of Basic Health Units - UBS, regarding the storage and disposal of medicines, in the city of Timon-MA. For this purpose, the sociodemographic profile of the research participants is presented; as well as the difficulties faced by users in separating and disposing of medications. A cross-sectional and descriptive research was carried out with qualitative and quantitative data analysis using a questionnaire with 402 participants distributed in 10 UBS with the largest number of registered users, according to the report for the last four months of the year 2021 available in the Information System at Health for Primary Care (SISAB). Multinomial logistic regression was used as a method to evaluate the association between the dependent variable “Type of Disposal” (using the “Health Unit” as a reference) and the independent variables “Gender”, “Education”, “Level Income" and "Frequency of Use". The study was conducted with 402 participants, who were selected from different health units in the city, proportionally to the number of users registered in each unit. The study found that most people discard expired medicines at home, in the general trash, which indicates a lack of knowledge about proper disposal. Furthermore, (58.4%) of the population discards expired medicines at home, in the general trash, while a considerable proportion chooses to dispose of them in inappropriate ways, such as in the sink (15.9%) or in the toilet (11%). . These behaviors can be worrying, as improper disposal of medicines can have negative impacts on the environment and public health, including water and soil contamination. The results of the multinomial analysis highlight the influence of gender, education and frequency of medication use on the choice of inappropriate disposal method. These findings highlight the importance of public policies and educational campaigns aimed at raising awareness among the population about the importance of correct medication disposal, especially among groups identified as more likely to dispose of them inappropriately. These results indicate that education can influence the decision to dispose of

medications properly, with individuals with higher education having greater awareness about correct disposal. The study concludes that educating the population plays an important role in raising awareness about the appropriate storage and disposal of medicines.