O descarte de medicamentos e a percepção dos danos ao Meio ambiente pela população de Frutal - MG

Abstract

The increase in the production and consumption of medicines associated with their incorrect disposal can compromise human and environmental health. This research aimed to evaluate household disposal of medicines and perception of damage to the environment by the population of Frutal - MG, Brazil. As a methodology, a questionnaire was created via Google Forms (free and free platform) with multiple choice questions about age group; sex; income; schooling; disposal of packaging, medication, expired drugs; return to pharmacies; storage; knowledge of the population about damage to the environment. The study made it possible to achieve an inference of 3.20% confidence and 99% reliability within the collected sample. The questionnaire was answered by 1,561 people in the municipality. The results showed that the prevalent age group was between 18 and 29 years old (32.9%). They observed that 70.5% of the answers were female, income of 1 to 2 wages (27.3%), most with higher education (27.8%); 92.7% of the population makes the incorrect disposal and only 7.3% they do it properly; 62.7% of people said they caused damage to the soil by improperly disposing of drugs, 62.3% caused damage to water, 47.5% damage to health and the population and 1.7% there is no contamination when improperly disposing of medicines. They concluded that the population demonstrated understanding about the damage caused to the environment in relation to incorrect disposal, but an intervention is necessary mainly on how to do this disposal properly