• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.286-294
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• 2019

Background: At the end of the'Waste Drug Disposal Project', collection and disposal of waste drugs remain a social issue. Objective: This study aimed to provide suggestions to improve the drug waste management system in Korea by comparing domestic and overseas relevant programs. Methods: This is a comparative study between South Korea, Australia, Canada, France, and the US. These overseas countries were selected because they have been operating waste drug management programs continuously to date. Comparison was conducted by a pre-determined analysis frame including legal regulation, enforcement program and its performance. Results: All selected countries except Australia had legal regulations on drug wastes. The US had the largest variety of drug waste disposal methods. Canada had recommended that pharmacies actively participate in drug waste withdrawal programs. France had the largest variety of methods to promote relevant programs, including window sticker, SNS, and app, as well as the highest level of awareness and participation. Australia had the lowest level of awareness and participation in pharmaceutical waste management programs. Pharmaceutical companies took responsibility of paying for these programs in the selected overseas countries. Conclusion: Further efforts should be made to establish a clear guideline including the role of pharmaceutical companies, and to develop various methods for the public to be aware of appropriate ways of disposing drug wastes in Korea.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2009.10a
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• pp.103-104
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• 2009

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.53 no.2
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• pp.93-100
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• 2009

Most of families in Korea keep some medicines that has been expired or not been used for a long time, and these medicines could be causing environmental or social problems. Currently many people concerned about their health and therefore show a tendency to visit many health facilities. It eventually brings to remain more medication in home The aim of this study is to determine the drug waste minimization and drug disposal in Korean home and provide the proper guideline for them. This study were performed by visiting total randomly selected 140 homes at the Seoul area from July 23rd, 2008 to July 31st, 2008 by questionnaire. This survey comprised total 6 parts and total 22 questions. In results, 77 (55.0%) among 140 families answered to this survey. 89.6% of families keep unused medicine in the home. Most were tablet (66.3%) and syrup (19.2%) dosage type. They usually kept the unused medicine in the room (41.6%) or no certain place. 76.6% families reused the medicine and used for themselves. The reason for reuse is similar symptoms by their decision. The reason for medicine was left over is not following the prescription's direction (31.3%). They mostly dispose the unused medications by throwing into a trash can (71.4%). In conclusion, many families keeps unused medication and it could cause health and environmental problems.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.8
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• pp.3203-3211
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• 2015

This study identified the actual conditions for safe anticancer drug management among nurses and the relationship between level of awareness and performance of anticancer drug safety regulations in terms of preparation, administration, and disposal. The respondents were 236 nurses working with chemotherapy in wards and outpatient clinics in five hospitals in and near Seoul. Safety regulations provided for the anticancer drug the Occupational Safety Health Administration (OSHA, 1999), as modified for an earlier study, were used. The results showed that the level of awareness and performance on the anticancer drug safety regulations indicate their preparation ($3.38{\pm}0.55$, $2.38{\pm}0.98$), administration ($3.52{\pm}0.46$, $3.17{\pm}0.70$), general handling and disposal ($3.33{\pm}0.54$, $2.42{\pm}0.90$) on a scale 0 to 5. Also, there were significant differences in job positions, work experience, type of preparation, and continuing education and a positive relationship between the level of awareness and nursing performance. Thus, nurses should receive continuing education on the handling of anticancer drugs to improve the level of performance following safety regulations.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.268-279
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• 2023

The pharmaceutical industry in Bangladesh produces a diverse range of antibiotics for human and animal use, however, waste disposal management is inadequate. This results in substantial quantities of antibiotics being discharged into water bodies, which provide suitable environment for the growth of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, capable of spreading resistance genes. This study intended for exploring the bacterial antibiotic resistance profile in adjoining aquatic environmental sources of pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities in Bangladesh. Seven surface water samples were collected from the vicinity of two pharmaceutical industries located in the Savar area and 51 Escherichia coli isolates were identified using both phenotypic and genotypic methods. Antibiotic susceptibility tests revealed the highest percentage of resistance against ampicillin, azithromycin, and nalidixic acid (100%) and the lowest resistance against meropenem (1.96%) out of sixteen different antibiotics tested. 100% of the study E. coli isolates were observed with Multidrug resistance phenotypes, with the Multiple Antibiotic Resistance (MAR) value ranging from 0.6-1.0. Furthermore, 69% of the isolates were Extended Spectrum Beta-Lactamases (ESBL) positive as per the Double Disk Diffusion Synergy Test (DDST). ESBL resistance genes bla_TEM, bla_CTX-M-13, bla_CTX-M-15, and bla_SHV were detected in 70.6% (n = 36), 60.8% (n = 32), 54.9% (n = 28), and 1.96% (n = 1) of the isolates, respectively, by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). Additionally, 15.68% (n = 8) of the isolates were positive for E. coli specific virulence genes in PCR. These findings suggest that pharmaceutical wastewater, if not properly treated, could be a formidable source of antibiotic resistance spread in the surrounding aquatic environment. Therefore, continued surveillance for drug resistance among bacterial populations around drug manufacturing facilities in Bangladesh is necessary, along with proper waste disposal management.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.58 no.4
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• pp.262-267
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• 2014

Unused medication disposal is a burden due to the cost of disposing as well as the cost of the drugs. Investigating medication returns is expected to suggest areas of intervention to reduce unused medications. Purpose: The aim of this study was to examine types, quantity, costs, active pharmaceutical ingredients, and therapeutic category of the medications returned to community pharmacies. Method: From January 15, 2014 to February 28, 2014, the medications returned to the 17 community pharmacies in Gimhae, Jinju, and Incheon, Korea were examined. The pharmacists and student volunteers worked cooperatively to identify the medications and analyze drug cost of prescription pill medications returned to the pharmacies. Results: A total of 2,720 pills of prescription medication were analyzed and 91 active pharmaceutical ingredients were identified. According to the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classification, the most predominant group was A (alimentary tract and metabolism) with 33.3%, followed by N (nervous system) with 15.0%. With regard to the drug cost of groups, group A was the highest with 26.6%, followed by J01 (antibacterials for systemic use) with 20.2% and N (nervous system) with 18.3%. The total cost of the oral pill prescription medications was 468,477 won. Conclusion: The result from this study implies that unused drugs impose a significant cost to the health care system in Korea. In this study, medicines used to treat gastrointestinal conditions were returned most frequently with the highest drug cost. Further research in nationwide level is necessary to establish strategies to reduce the wastage of unused medicines.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.58 no.2
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• pp.107-111
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• 2014

Unused medication disposal is a problem due to the cost of disposing as well as potential risk of inadvertent dosing. Investigating medication returns is expected to suggest areas for targeting interventions to reduce medication waste. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine types of medications and identify the expiration date of the medications returned to the community pharmacies through "Drug-Take Back" program. Method: From October 10, 2012 to November 14, 2012, the medications returned to the 58 community pharmacies in Korea were examined. Results: A total of 22,160 g of pill medications were collected; 52.8% for prescription drugs and 47.2% for non-prescription drugs, respectively. The weight of the expired pill medications was more than 5 times that of the non-expired pill medications. On the other hand, 6,168 ml of liquid medications were returned; 80.0% for prescription medication and 20.0% for non-prescription medications, respectively. Of the total oral liquid medications, the volume of the expired medications was more than 5 times that of the non-expired medications. Conclusion: The majority of medications returned to the community pharmacies were prescription drugs rather than non-prescription drugs. In addition, most of the drugs were expired when they returned.

• Journal of environmental and Sanitary engineering
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.86-96
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• 1995

Alum recovery has recently gained more attention because many water utilities need to improve their sludge handling and disposal practices. As part of an overall sludge management program recovery can reduce the amount of solids and allow for reuse of the recovered Alum as a coagulant. This study was examined the effectiveness of Alum recovery from the Sludge at the D water treatment plant in Kwangju city. The results were summarized as follows 1. Alum recovery was obtained sufficiently acidification(An optimum condition was pH2-3) With $H_{2}SO_{4}$ to settled sludge. In this case recovered liquid Alum from sludge of 2.1% solids concentration at pH 2.1 was contains Aluminum $1,602mg/{\ell}$(as $Al_{2}O_{3}$ 0.3% ) and other metal of low level. 2. It was an optimum condition to all reuse of recovered Alum as a coagulant that rate of Commercial Alum:Recovered Alum=$14{\mu}{\ell}/{\ell}{\;}:{\;}200{\mu}{\ell}/{\ell}$ In a result of Jar Tests. 3. It was a result of Alum recovery from sludge, the reduction effect of amount of solids was about 57.4%. 4. If all recovered Alum were reused the reduction effect of solid wastes disposal cost and chemical drug's cost was about 22%.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.65-68
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• 2009

Disposal infusion device is known to be useful for chemotherapy. Anti-cancer drug can be released by the force of carbon dioxide or balloon. In this study, we compared the$Anapa^{(R)}$ (LC0020) with B Company (LV2 ml) in terms of infusion rate and stability. Infusion rate was determined every six minute using software, MSI08IH. Stability of 5-fluorouracil was examined periodically using a High Performance Liquid Chromatography. Infusion rates of gas-derived $Anapa^{(R)}$ device were 2.29, 1.86, 1.98 ml/hr and those of balloon-derived B Company device were 1.71, 1.58, 1.37 ml/min. There were no significant differences in stability of 5-fluorouracil between $Anapa^{(R)}$ and B Company devices. In summary, gas-derived $Anapa^{(R)}$ device is thought to be comparable or superior to balloon-derived B Company device as far as infusion rate and stability are concerned. We expect that $Anapa^{(R)}$ as a home infusion device can be employed to improve a quality of life and compliance of cancer patients.

• Journal of the Korean Orthopaedic Association
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• v.56 no.4
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• pp.305-309
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• 2021

Purpose: This study analyzed the increase in disposal rate of femoral heads in the bone bank of a single hospital from medical disease and drug history, as assessed by the Korean health insurance review and assessment service. Materials and Methods: The disposal rate and cause of 340 femoral heads were analyzed according to the regulations of the bone bank based on the standard model of the Ministry of food and drug safety. Results: One hundred and seven (33%) of 323 femoral heads collected from 2009 to 2018, and 65 (46%) of 142 femoral heads collected from 2015 to 2018 were discarded. The most common causes were related to the history of dementia and the administration of radioisotope for nuclear medicine. Conclusion: The current methods and screening tools can lead to errors in disposing of the available tissues in a bone bank. Thus, improved standards and screening methods are needed.