中文摘要藥品及醫療廢棄物對環境造成的污染及生態改變是每個生活在這地球上的人們需正視的問題，世界各國政府皆為國人過度浪費醫療資源，及醫療廢棄物該如何妥當處置頭痛不已。國人在全民健康保險的政策下，就醫的方便性、醫療資源取得的容易.......在在可能造就國人對於醫療資源的不珍惜，造成醫療成本提高，相對也造成國家財政沉重負擔。本研究以新竹縣市民眾為對象，為探討對於至社區藥局或醫院藥局丟棄廢棄藥物的民眾施以問卷調查，以瞭解及分析廢棄藥物種類、成因、丟廢棄藥物人口統計學分析及是否與醫療從業人員有關而導致的廢棄藥物的增加，經研究發現新竹縣市民眾普遍不知該如何檢收廢棄藥物，也不知道何處有廢棄藥物檢收站，民眾對政府的廢棄藥物處置方式及政策認知不足，但民眾皆認為需要廣設檢收站，也擔心不當的處置方式會導致環境汙染。從這份研究裡，希望找出廢棄藥物以何種居多、廢棄藥物產出的可能因素、民眾對廢棄藥物處置真正的需求及提供政府對廢棄藥物處置參考建議，以能為健保之藥品政策提供參考，讓資源做充份有效而不浪費的利用。 Abstract The More than 36 tons of unused and expired medications are wastefully discarded every year in Taiwan which has a significant impact on environmental contamination and financial burden on Taiwan’s National Health Insurance (NHI) Program. The aim of this study was to investigate consumers’ behaviors on medication disposal and analysis the classification of the medications in Hsin Chu city, Taiwan. . Discarding Bins for medication disposal have been set up in three hospitals and several community pharmacies in Hsin Chu area. Consumers or patients disposed their unused or expired medication to these bins. Pharmacists will helps record the names and quantities of the medications and disbribute a questionnaire to collect related information. The reasons for discarding these medications will be helpful for drug reimbursement policies in NHI Program. .Most respondents were reported that they discarded their medications at home (directly into trash bins and toilet), and were likely to choose a pharmacy that provides the service of medication disposal in the future. The majority of respondents positively viewed paying for medication disposal on a per weight basis. The results of this study reveal that the accessibility ofthe NHI program to the patients leads to more unnecessary medications prescribed. Further analysis will be needed to provide evidence for NHI policy regarding drug reimbursement.
