Inappropriate disposal of expired and unused drugs by households is a major source of environmental pollution and contamination, posing a significant health hazard. This study aims to evaluate the general knowledge and practices of pharmaceutical waste disposal among the masses of Karachi. The study is a descriptive cross-sectional survey involving household members who use prescribed and Over the counter (OTC) medicines from different localities of Karachi. The study was conducted through a predesigned structured questionnaire from January 2025 to March 2025. A total of 2000 participants were included. Results revealed that 74% participants were aware of the harmful effects of medicinal wastes. However, only 4% were following drug take back programs, 96% even educated participants were oblivious to the existence of any such system. Around 86% of the participants mentioned disposing of expired/unused medicines in the dustbin, while 8% admitted flushing them down the sink/toilet. Hence, it is concluded that knowledge and proper implementation of pharmaceutical waste disposal are severely lacking in this global city and require urgent attention to prevent further adverse effects on human health.
Zaheer et al. (2026) studied this question.