Organizational aspects of the disposal of unusable medicines: a focus on consumers

Relevance. Despite the fact that the Russian Federation has an effective system for the production and sale of medicines, there is still no system for collecting and disposing of unused medicines that are stored in people's home medicine cabinets. Unused medicines end up in the environment along with household waste. Due to the significant risks of harming the environment and public health, it is crucial for the population to properly dispose of unused medicines. Objective. Situational analysis of the organization's disposal of unused medicines. Materials and methods. The study analyzed the regulatory and legal documents governing the destruction of medicines and the activities of pharmacists; conducted a survey of consumers on the disposal of unused medicines; and analyzed the activities of organizations involved in waste disposal. The study used content analysis, questionnaires, observation, generalization, structural, comparative, and mathematical-statistical analysis as research methods. Results. An analysis of regulatory and legal documents showed that there is no regulation of the disposal of unused medicines by the population. A survey of consumers allowed us to establish the population's approaches to the disposal of unused medicines, identify their main information needs, and identify organizational issues in this area. Consumers expressed their willingness to properly dispose of medicines, provided that special collection points for these wastes are established. However, there is no opportunity for the population to independently transfer unused medicines to recycling organizations. Conclusion. A comprehensive approach to solving the problem of the disposal of unusable medicines, which includes the creation of specialized waste collection points, active consumer involvement through information campaigns, and legislative measures, will contribute to improving the environmental situation and protecting public health.