At least six in every 10 households in Kitgum Municipality keep unused medicines at home, raising concerns about self-medication, improper storage and unsafe disposal of drugs, a survey by Kitgum General Hospital has found.
The survey, conducted in 2025 across the municipality’s three divisions, covered 1,362 households and examined the prevalence of unused medicines kept at home, as well as the factors associated with the practice.
Dr Alex Komakech Aboda, the Senior Hospital Pharmacist at Kitgum General Hospital, said the findings showed that about 60 per cent of the households visited had unused medicines.
The findings have raised concern because most of the medicines found in households had been prescribed for short-term illnesses rather than chronic conditions that require prolonged treatment.
Dr Aboda said residents gave several reasons for keeping unused medicines, including wanting to have drugs readily available in case of future illness, previous shortages of medicines at health facilities and difficulties accessing health services at night, particularly when children fall sick.
Dr Aboda, however, warned that keeping and reusing medicines without guidance from qualified health professionals could put patients at risk, particularly children.
He said medicines used to manage chronic conditions such as hypertension and diabetes would be expected to remain in households because patients may require them for prolonged periods. The survey also examined how households store medicines and found that many residents kept drugs in unsuitable places, including cupboards, pots, under beds, near windows and in kitchens.
Dr Aboda said improper storage can affect the quality, efficacy and safety of medicines because many drugs require specific temperature and environmental conditions. He said the practice is particularly concerning in households where medicines are exposed to excessive heat, including near cooking areas, or stored under other unsuitable conditions.
The hospital is now encouraging residents to seek professional guidance whenever they need medication and to avoid keeping or reusing medicines prescribed for previous illnesses.
Dr Aboda also cautioned against using leftover medicines to treat different illnesses simply because they present with similar signs and symptoms. Grace Pinyoloya, a mother of four and resident of Lulojo Cell in Pandwong Division, said she keeps medicines at home because children sometimes fall sick at night when it is difficult to travel to the hospital.
“If the child has fever or pain and I have medicine that was previously given by the health centre, I feel it is better to keep it for emergencies. But I now understand that giving medicine without consulting a health worker can be dangerous,” Pinyoloya said.
Margaret Lanyero, a mother of three from Lulojo Cell in Pandwong Division, said medicine shortages at health facilities also encourage families to keep leftover drugs. “Several times I go to the health facility, and they prescribe medicine, but you may find that it is not available.
When you buy it from a drug shop, I normally keep what remains because I think it can help when another child gets the same problem,” Lanyero said. Samuel Odong, a resident of Second Jenge Cell in Westland Parish, said he sometimes keeps leftover medicines when a patient recovers before completing the prescribed dose. “We also keep some medicines because going to the hospital every time someone gets a minor illness can be expensive and time-consuming,” Odong added.
Health authorities are urging households to treat medicines as carefully as any other health intervention, warning that a drug that was appropriate for one illness or patient may be ineffective or harmful when reused without professional assessment-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
