Abstract:
Background: Pharmaceutical waste is a type of healthcare waste that includes expired, unused,
spilled, and contaminated pharmaceutical products, drugs, vaccines, and sera that are no longer
required and need to be disposed of appropriately. As a result of increasing usage of
pharmaceuticals, the accumulation of waste is gradually elevated which causes threat to humans
and the environment.
Objectives: To critically analyse the pharmaceutical waste management (PWM) throughout the
community, community pharmacies and hospitals in South Asian Association for Regional
Cooperation (SAARC) region.
Methods: Research articles were collected and categorized on the stated objective from
available sources (PubMed, Google Scholar) using comprehensive literature review. Most
appropriate research articles in English from 2000 - 2020, were selected (10 articles from each
area) using keywords such as PMW, hospital and community pharmacy waste.
Results: Awareness of World Health Organization recommendations on waste management
methods and the impact on environment and health is very low. Most hospitals do not use basic
self-protection equipment for handling and categorizing waste management while commonly
use incineration for waste disposal since it is an environmentally friendly, affordable method. İn
Nepal, they follow the take-back system against poor waste management methods. The
awareness is low among the healthcare practitioners and most of the community pharmacists are
unqualified and unskilled; thus, they follow unacceptable techniques, as hiding sharps,
medicines and infectious waste in common waste, burning in open area, and flushing in the
toilets. The unwanted, expired medicine accumulation is increasing and it leads to inappropriate
waste management practices as the government influence is less favourable.
Conclusions: It needs to balance the poor awareness and practical knowledge with available
regulations, low budget and government concerns as the PMW in SAARC region countries is
challengeable. The institutional resource personnel can enhance knowledge, attitude to make
qualified and skilled healthcare practitioners while government should establish proper
guidelines, conduct awareness and training programmes and implement the ‘take-back system’
to improve the quality of PMW.
