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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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