Manejo de desechos farmacéuticos de origen doméstico. Estudio en la parroquia Gil Ramírez Dávalos en Cuenca-Ecuador

Abstract

Pharmaceutical wastes can cause negative effects on health and the environment. One of the most important sources of these wastes is households, where its appropriate management is vital to reduce cases of self-medication, as well as to avoid their migration to the environment. This research aims to determine how the pharmaceutical wastes generated in the homes of the Gil Ramírez Dávalos area in Cuenca, Ecuador are managed. For this, a cross-sectional study was conducted through a purposive sampling, applying a survey to understand the habits of the population on the management of pharmaceutical wastes. The survey questions were previously refined by a pilot test, it consisted of six questions, which were applied to 358 randomly selected individuals. A container was installed during a four-week period in the central zone of the area of interest so that users could deposit their pharmaceutical wastes, which were quantified and cataloged. The results of the survey showed that around 71% of the surveyed population disposed these wastes along with the regular domestic waste and around 95% are willing to participate in a collection program for pharmaceutical wastes. It was determined that 27 of the 85 drugs found have ecotoxicological effects according to the database of the Mistrapharma research program. This study allows to expand the understanding on the management of pharmaceutical wastes of domestic origin in the Gil Ramírez Dávalos area in Cuenca – Ecuador.