Prevalence and Practice of Unused and Expired Medicine—A Community-Based Study among Saudi Adults in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Table 2

Respondents’ practices concerning unused and expired medication.

Variables		%
Do you check the expiry date of the medicine before procuring?
Yes	186	55.2
No	132	39.2
Do not know	19	5.6
Ways of purchasing medicines
Purchased using a prescription	305	90.5
Purchased without prescriptions (OTC)	181	53.7
Received from friends/colleagues	33	9.8
Brought/purchase upon the advice of a relative	61	18.2
What do you do with unused medicines or expired medicine?
Throw away in the household garbage	162	48.1
Donate to a hospital	13	3.9
Give to friends or relatives	46	13.7
Return to medical stores	18	5.4
Keep at home until expiry	219	65
Flush unused medicines in the toilet	18	5.4
Who is responsible for creating awareness about the proper disposal of unused and expired medicines?
Government	288	85.5
Pharmaceutical industries	129	38.3
Public	60	17.9
Pharmacist	152	45.2
Can improper disposal of unused and expired medicines affect the environment and health?
Yes	311	92.3
No	26	7.7