Explanations and Handling of Unused Medicines in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes and Hypertension: a Case of a Community at Ubon Ratchathani
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Abstract
Objective: To determine the cause of unused medicines and its handlings in patients with type 2 diabetes and hypertension in a community at Ubon Ratchathani province. Method: This study was a qualitative study by collecting the data on left-over medications for chronic diseases and conducting semi-structured interview with 40 patients at their home, along with 2 healthcare providers in sub-district health promoting hospitals. Results: Explanations for unused medicines from patient's perspective included incorrect drug takings, forgetting to take medicines, and being able to access medications from multiple channels. Explanations for unused medicines from healthcare provider's perspective were polypharmacy, self-adjustment of medication doses, incorrect drug taking, and the amount of prescribed medication more than the amount needed. Patients handled unused medicines by just keeping them and taking the most medications received from the hospitals, throwing away, and returning to hospitals. All patients had never found expired drugs or deteriorative drugs. However, if they found ones, they would ask health professionals, return them back to sub-district health promotion hospitals, keep them and continue taking, eliminate them and ask the neighbors for advice, The handling of life-over medications of health care providers in sub-district health promotion hospitals was following hospitals’ policy to return unused medicines. Conclusion: This study provided the information on explanations of unused medicine from the perspectives of patients and the healthcare providers. Patients’ handling of unused medications reflects their lack of knowledge on this issue. Patients were relatively uncooperative with hospital policy on unused medicines. It is therefore essential to implement concrete measures to encourage the return of left-over medication in order to reduce the problem.
Article Details
ผลการวิจัยและความคิดเห็นที่ปรากฏในบทความถือเป็นความคิดเห็นและอยู่ในความรับผิดชอบของผู้นิพนธ์ มิใช่ความเห็นหรือความรับผิดชอบของกองบรรณาธิการ หรือคณะเภสัชศาสตร์ มหาวิทยาลัยสงขลานครินทร์ ทั้งนี้ไม่รวมความผิดพลาดอันเกิดจากการพิมพ์ บทความที่ได้รับการเผยแพร่โดยวารสารเภสัชกรรมไทยถือเป็นสิทธิ์ของวารสารฯ
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