Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36601509›Full record

ArticleSaudi pharmaceutical journal : SPJ : the official publication of the Saudi Pharmaceutical Society2022

An assessment of the current practice of community pharmacists for the disposal of medication waste in the United Arab Emirates: A deep analysis at a glance.

Zelal Kharaba, Lubna Q Khasawneh, Lynn Aloum, Rose Ghemrawi, Feras Jirjees, Nezar Al Bataineh, Ahmad Al-Azayzih, Manal Ali Buabeid, Sham Zain Al-Abdin, Yassen Alfoteih

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Saudi pharmaceutical journal : SPJ : the official publication of the Saudi Pharmaceutical Society, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Review
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Observational
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Zelal KharabaDepartment of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Al Ain University, Abu Dhabi 112612, UAE.
Lubna Q KhasawnehDepartment of Genomics and Genetics, Collage of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al-Ain, UAE.
Lynn AloumDepartment of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Kingston University, London, UK.
Rose GhemrawiDepartment of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Al Ain University, Abu Dhabi 112612, UAE.
Feras JirjeesCollege of Pharmacy, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, UAE.
Nezar Al BatainehDepartment of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Al Ain University, Abu Dhabi 112612, UAE.
Ahmad Al-AzayzihDepartment of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan.
Manal Ali BuabeidMedical and Health Sciences/ Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Fatima College of Health Sciences, Abu-Dhabi, UAE.
Sham Zain Al-AbdinDepartment of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al-Ain, UAE.
Yassen AlfoteihDepartment of Dental Surgery, City University College of Ajman, Ajman, UAE.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Objective: The study aimed to identify the current practice carried out by community pharmacists to dispose of expired medications in their workplace and assess any practical steps utilized to reduce medication waste. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted among community pharmacists in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The participants were asked about their routine practice in disposing of different expired medications and the current actions taken to reduce the number of disposed medicines. Results: The study included (n = 418) community pharmacists. More than a third of expired liquid, solid, and semi-solid dosage forms were collected by licensed contractors. In addition, more than a third of the pharmacists disposed of different dosage forms via unauthorized methods (general garbage, sink and toilet). Most expired drugs were skin and hair products, antibiotics and analgesics. The majority of pharmacists (68.4 %, n = 286) agreed that expired pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical products, other than those disposed of via contractor, should be done through a specialized centre. This opinion was found to be strongly associated with years of practice as community pharmacists (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Part of the existing disposal practices for expired pharmaceutical products in the UAE is carried out by contractors licensed by health authorities. However, concern remains regarding some pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical products that have not been disposed of correctly. Additionally, there is a need for a specialized center for medication disposal (p < 0.05). A stock limitation is the best practice for managing medication quantities in stock (p < 0.05).

Indexed as

Community pharmacistsDisposal medicationsExpired medicationsMedication waste

Identifiers

PMID36601509
PMCPMC9805962

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.