Pharmaceutical Waste Management Practices and Knowledge Among Healthcare Workers at Secondary Hospitals in Enugu State

Pharmaceutical waste generated in healthcare facilities poses environmental and public health risks if not managed in accordance with established guidelines. Proper segregation, storage, and disposal of expired medicines, cytotoxic waste, and contaminated pharmaceutical packaging require specific knowledge and institutional systems. In Enugu State, where secondary hospitals handle a significant volume of pharmaceutical products, the adequacy of pharmaceutical waste management practices has not been formally assessed. This study evaluated pharmaceutical waste management practices and healthcare worker knowledge at fifteen government secondary hospitals across Enugu East, Enugu North, and Enugu South senatorial districts. An observational waste audit tool and a structured questionnaire assessed facility-level waste management infrastructure and individual worker knowledge respectively. Compliance with the National Policy on Injection Safety and Healthcare Waste Management was used as the evaluative standard. Only 27% of facilities had a documented pharmaceutical waste management plan. Segregation of pharmaceutical from general healthcare waste was practised in 40% of facilities. Open burning was the predominant disposal method in 73% of hospitals. Healthcare worker knowledge scores averaged 54%, with pharmacists scoring significantly higher than nurses and laboratory staff. Adequate disposal infrastructure including designated pharmaceutical waste containers was absent in 80% of facilities. These findings indicate critical deficiencies in pharmaceutical waste management in Enugu State secondary hospitals, with significant environmental contamination implications. Keywords: pharmaceutical waste, healthcare workers, waste management, Enugu State, environmental safety.