1. Ecopharmacology
MASUM REZA
PRESENTED BY
Knowledge, attitude and practice of Ecopharmacology
among students in a tertiary level teaching hospital : A
questionnaire based cross sectional study
Kavitha Dongerkery, Anant Patil, Azra Naseem, Masum Reza
2. This study focuses on healthcare professionals and
students, aiming to gauge their awareness, attitudes,
and practices regarding eco-pharmacology.
The insights gained can guide the development of
strategies to minimize environmental harm while
optimizing healthcare delivery.
INTRODUCTION
As pharmaceuticals play a crucial role in healthcare,
understanding their environmental impact is essential.
Eco-pharmacology explores the ecological consequences of
pharmaceutical use, from production to disposal.
MASUM
REZA
PRESENTED
BY
5. Study Design:
- The research will employ a cross-sectional
study design to assess the knowledge,
attitudes, and practices of students in a
tertiary-level teaching hospital regarding
ecopharmacology.
Inclusion Criteria:Students of MBBS,
Dental, Nursing, Occupational Therapy,
Physiotherapy, and Allied Health Sciences.
Exclusion Criteria- Faculty members.
Sampling Technique:
Convinient sampling was done.
Data Collection:
Participants were approached:
1 By person.
2 through electronic means,
Informed consent obtained.
Knowledge Assessment:
- Participants will respond to knowledge-
based questions (Q5 to Q9) to evaluate their
awareness of ecopharmacology,
understanding of drug-related environmental
pollution.
Attitude Assessment:
- Attitude-based questions (Q10 to Q15)
gauged participants' concerns about unused
medicines, willingness to participate in
awareness campaigns.
Practice Assessment:
- Practice-based questions (Q16 to Q20)
explored the methods used for discarding
liquid medications, common types of unused
drugs at home, reading package inserts,
keeping leftover drugs, and discarding
expired drugs.
Data Analysis:
- Descriptive statistics were used to
summarize demographic characteristics.
Ethical Considerations:
- The study will adhere to ethical standards,
ensuring participant confidentiality and
voluntary participation,informed consent
will be obtained from all participants.
Data Interpretation and Reporting:
- The study findings will be interpreted
providing insights into the knowledge,
attitudes, and practices regarding
ecopharmacology.
METHODOLOGY
7. • KAP Survey Overview:
Conducted using standardized questionnaires, KAP
surveys gather both quantitative and qualitative data to
uncover misconceptions and barriers to behavior change.
WHY KAP
MASUM
REZA
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DISCUSSION
MASUM
REZA
1. In another KAP survey done in Northwestern Ethiopia among pharmacy students, only 20% of
the students were aware of the term (compared to our study with 66% awareness)
2. In the same study, 42.2% students believed antimicrobial residues contribute to antimicrobial
resistance (compared to our study with 41% awareness)
3. 64% students said that they stored left unused or unwanted medication at home (compare to our
study 15%)
4. The most common drugs left unused at home was eye/ear drops followed by analgesics
5. and the most common methods used for medication disposal was to flush in the washbasin or
throw it in the garbage, which is similar to what we found in our study.
17. REFERENCES
Archa Anna George Fenn et al. Ecopharmacology - Is It a Necessity for Human
Survival? Ijppr.Human, 2021; Vol. 21 (3): 505-532.
Gubae K, Arega Moges T, Agegnew Wondm S, Bayafers Tamene F, Kiflu M,
Aschale E, Belachew EA. Ecopharmacology: Knowledge, Attitude, and Medication
Disposal Practice Among Pharmacy Students. Integr Pharm Res Pract. 2023 Oct
24;12:185-193. doi: 10.2147/IPRP.S428457. PMID: 37901480; PMCID:
PMC10612519.
Hyderabad’s pharmaceutical pollution crisis [Internet]. Available from:
www.changingmarkets.org
Jena M, Mishra A, Maiti R. Environmental pharmacology: source, impact and
solution. Rev Environ Health. 2019 Mar 26;34(1):69-79. doi: 10.1515/reveh-2018-
0049. PMID: 30854834.
Rahman SZ, Khan RA, Gupta V, Uddin M. Pharmacoenvironmentology--a
component of pharmacovigilance. Environ Health. 2007 Jul 24;6:20. doi:
10.1186/1476-069X-6-20. PMID: 17650313; PMCID: PMC1947975.
MASUM
REZA
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Attitude-
Only 142 responders had concern about what must be done with unused medicines most or all the time.
173 only were concerned sometimes which shows that more awareness about disposal of unused medicines need to be done.
63 responders rarely or never showed any concern.
Most of the responders (239, 63.22%) agreed to participate in campaigns for raising awareness about disposal of drugs all or most of the time.
Practice-
The most common drug left unused at home- Eye/ear drops, followed by analgesics and antibiotics.
The most common method used to discard liquid medications- 165- Pour into washbasin, throw into dustbin-194, Others-119
