DISPOSAL OF EXPIRED AND DISUSED DRUGS, THROUGH REVERSE LOGISTICS OF MEDICINES: CASE OF MATÃO-SP

Abstract

Brazil has advanced in the legislation of Pharmaceutical Reverse Supply Chain (LRM) with the Federal Decree nº. 10.388/2020 that established standards that ensure equality in the supervision and compliance with the obligations imposed on manufacturers, importers, distributors, and traders of products to the obligation of reverse logistics, with correct destination for waste of expired and disused drugs and packaging. However, the situation of disposal of these drug residues is still precarious. The objective of this work was to evaluate the type of disposal practice adopted by the population living in the city of Matão-SP and to investigate the level of knowledge about adequate places for the disposal of these residues and their respective environmental impacts. 103 people were interviewed through an online questionnaire. The observed results indicated that 94% of the interviewees have a "homemade pharmacy" at home and when the medicine has expired, 62% dispose of it in common household garbage and 16% dispose of it at home in the sink/washer. The knowledge of adequate places for the disposal of these residues and impacts on the environment, aiming at the concept of unique health, is important for the realization of LRM, however in this study it is concluded that there is a lack of information in these people about the subject. The situation of this type of waste needs attention because most of them are disposed of in common household garbage or in sanitary vessels.