Handling procedures of pharmaceutical waste among medical facility in Nakuru town, Nakuru County, Kenya

Abstract

The study aimed at handling pharmaceutical waste (anti-biotics) procedures among medical facilities and their contribution to environmental pollution in Nakuru town. There is growing public concern over pharmaceutical substances remnants in water and the environment. This pharmaceutical waste includes antibiotics, which interfere with the water treatment process since most depend on biodegradation. This was achieved by conducting a social survey. The Social survey was used to collect data on handling procedures of pharmaceutical waste among medical facilities. Data were then processed and analysed using descriptive statistics. In this study, 69.57 per cent of the respondents indicated that public health officers were responsible for pharmaceutical waste handling. 83.12 per cent of the respondents indicated that they do not transport pharmaceuticals to other facilities since disposal is done on-site; hence, pharmaceuticals are handled at the point of generation. 75.03 per cent of those who transport pharmaceuticals for disposal outside the facility said they use government vehicles for transport, while 64.4 per cent indicated that they use all protective gear while handling pharmaceutical waste. Eighty-nine per cent also said that they use waste sacks when transporting pharmaceutical waste for disposal. The study provides information on handling procedures that can add information to the existing database and also serve as baseline data for researchers interested in related studies.