Knowledge without practice: Pharmaceutical waste and future healthcare technicians

Abstract

Pharmaceutical products significantly contribute to healthcare but become environmental pollutants when discarded improperly. Safe management of household pharmaceutical waste largely depends on healthcare professionals' readiness to guide the public. The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge and attitudes of future medical and pharmaceutical technicians regarding this issue. The research was conducted among final year students at the Secondary Medical and Pharmaceutical School "Sv. Petka" in Smederevo. An anonymous, paper-based questionnaire with 14 questions was used, and data were processed using descriptive statistics. High general awareness was observed: 94.5% of respondents understand the concept of pharmaceutical waste, 98.9% recognize its environmental impact, and 96.7% note the risk of medication misuse. However, practical habits remain poor: 53.8% dispose of liquid medications into the sewage system, and 50.5% throw solid medicines into municipal waste. Furthermore, 81.3% did not receive disposal information at pharmacies, and 56% are unaware of legal obligations to return unused medications. However, 71.4% of respondents show interest in additional education. Although respondents show a high level of general awareness regarding pharmaceutical waste, a significant lack of practical knowledge and familiarity with legal regulations is observed. Given that these are future healthcare professionals, the results clearly indicate the need for a systematic introduction of this topic into the curricula of pharmaceutical and medical schools, in order to enhance responsible behavior in practice.