Gerard Lee See, Florencio Arce, Jr, Yolanda Deliman
Objectives: The purpose of this study was to identify actual medicine storage conditions, identify factors that influenced respondents on medicine storage and knowledge of respondents on the storage of medicines.
Methodology: This was an exploratory, descriptive study. Systematic random sampling was used in the selection of respondents living among the seven cluster sites in Talamban, Cebu City. The research instrument used was a written interview questionnaire in a pre-defined order including questions on medicine storage, influence on storage, and awareness. Household visit was made to allow personal interview accompanied with a charted illustration of medicines for easier identification by the respondents.
Results & Conclusion: In a total of 101 households, tablets (81.19%), capsules (55.45%), and syrups (38.61%) were the commonly stored medicines. Cabinet (42.64%) at room temperature away from direct sunlight was the main storage condition while other respondents stored medicines in the pill container, living room, and refrigerator. Stored medicines were commonly for fever (66.34%), cough and colds (61.39%), and headache (49.5%). Influence on medicine storage was mainly based on self (47.52%) as individual perception. Furthermore, pharmacists (10.52%) were not the identified major information source for medicine storage. The respondents (60.39%) were aware that individual dosage forms have specific storage condition recommendations.
Respondents were unaware of the role of pharmacists in medicine dispensing which also includes information dissemination on medicine storage. Active participation of the health care professionals as medicine information source must be emphasized as indicated by the data that respondents mostly relied on personal
judgment on medicine storage.
