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INOVACIJE I IZAZOVI U OBRAZOVANJU I SESTRINSKOJ SKRBI - KNJIGA SAŽETAKA



               Vinogradska Nursing School Students'Habits and

               Knowledge Regarding the Storage and Disposal of
               Medicines from their Home Pharmacy


               Home pharmacy is important for taking care of health in the family environment. Properly
               equipped and maintained, it provides basic medical supplies and ensures safety for the whole
               family. Maintaining a home pharmacy is not only beneficial for our health, but also for the
               safety  of  our  family  and  the  environment.  Regular  monitoring,  updating  and  adherence  to
               guidelines for storage and disposal of medicines is essential to ensure their effectiveness and
               safety. Research shows that improper disposal of medicines is a serious problem, as 78 % of
               medicines in the world are disposed of improperly. Due to improper disposal, most medicines
               end up in the environment and thus pollute it. The biggest problem is medicines that have
               expired or are no longer used. Such drugs should be taken to the pharmacy to be properly
               disposed of precisely with the aim of preserving the environment, because the latest research
               shows that the remains of billions of doses of antibiotics, painkillers and antidepressants pose
               a great risk to freshwater ecosystems and global food chains.
               The  aim  of  this  research  was  to  examine  the  habits  and  knowledge  of  the  students  of  the
               Vinogradska Nursing School about the importance of proper storage and disposal of medicines
               from the pharmacy. After the collected data, the results were analyzed and the areas where
               education or information of students could be carried out with the purpose of preserving our
               planet were revealed.
               The results showed that the majority of students (91 %) have a home pharmacy, which indicates
               the presence of medicines in almost every household, but a large percentage of students (80 %)
               are not aware of how medicines are improperly disposed of. Only 8 % of students properly
               handle  unused  medicines  by  taking  them  to  the  pharmacy,  which  indicates  a  low  level  of
               awareness about the proper disposal of medicines. Also, only a small part of students (23 %) is
               aware  of  the  financial  losses  associated  with  throwing  away  or  improperly  disposing  of
               medicines. It is worrying that only a third of students (33 %) express an interest in additional
               education for this topic.
               The research shows that students have a significant lack of information and that there is a need
               for  increased  awareness  and  additional  education  of  students  about  the  proper  disposal  of
               medicines. Education will help create long-term sustainable habits that will have a positive
               impact on the community and the environment.


               Key words: drug disposal, home pharmacy, ecosystem, environmental safety

























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