Feasible Safe Disposal Strategies that Can Be Used to Manage Pharmaceutical Waste among Households in Nakuru City

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to document feasible and safe disposal strategies for managing pharmaceutical waste among households in Nakuru City. Improper disposal of pharmaceuticals via garbage sites and wastewater systems can cause environmental contamination, expose humans and non-target organisms to harmful substances, and disrupt sewage treatment processes, particularly through antibiotics. A cross-sectional survey design was employed among 384 households in Nakuru City. Simple random sampling was used to select administrative units, snowball sampling to identify households, and purposive sampling to recruit key stakeholders. Data were collected using structured questionnaires containing closed- and open-ended questions and analysed using descriptive statistics in SPSS and Excel. The findings showed that the take-back programme was the most preferred and feasible strategy (54.7%), followed by return-to-pharmacy (38%) and drop-off (20.7%), while mail-back was least preferred (5%). Feasibility was influenced by cost, accessibility, and trust in disposal systems. Additionally, 65 per cent of respondents were unwilling to pay for pharmaceutical waste management, while 22.9 per cent of those willing to pay accepted any amount to support the system. 60 per cent of stakeholders were willing to accept pharmaceuticals from households and dispose of them according to pharmaceutical disposal guidelines. The study concludes that take-back programmes are the most practical strategy, whereas mail-back systems are least acceptable. It recommends public awareness and educational programmes on the safe management and environmental and human health impacts of unwanted pharmaceuticals.