Qualitative and Quantitative Analyses of Pharmaceutical Wastes in a Specialized Hospital in Tehran, Iran, in 2017

Hospitals are among the major centers in the production of pharmaceutical wastes. Ineffective management and inappropriate disposal of pharmaceutical wastes in various healthcare centers cause environmental problems and threaten human health. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the composition and amount of the production rate of pharmaceutical wastes in a specialized hospital in Tehran, Iran, in 2017.

This cross-sectional study was conducted in a specialized hospital under the supervision of Iran University of Medical Sciences in Tehran in 2017. For waste sampling, 19 active sections were selected in the present study. Method of separating and weighing wastes was used in this study. Finally, the total amount, production per bed, density, and weight percentage of waste components were determined in the present study.

According to the results, it was shown that the mean value of waste production was 60.14±5.81 kg/day in the studied hospital. Moreover, the waste production rate per bed was 85g/bed/day, and its density was obtained at 356.99±70.26 kg/m2. Results of physical analysis showed that 44.34% of vial and ampoule lesions, 12.4% of syringe lesions, 22.31% of buttocks and serum sets, and 29.24% of various lesions constituted the components. It should be noted that about 67.25% of vial lesions were related to antibiotics. Based on the findings, meroxan, cefazolin, and ciprofloxacin with 19.95%, 17.43%, and 14.56% were reported as the highest rates among the antibiotics, respectively.

According to the obtained results of this study, the presence of household-like and infectious wastes among the components of pharmaceutical wastes indicated the proper separation. Proper separation of wastes leads to a lower amount of wastes and reduces management costs. In this regard, hospital managers should pay more attention to the management of these wastes.