What do we do with medicines we no longer need? To better understand how medicines are managed in Spanish households and identify opportunities to improve public awareness and recycling practices, the Reuse4Food project, coordinated by IMDEA Water with the participation of the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, has launched the survey “What Do You Know About Medicine Recycling?”.

The survey is open to everyone, regardless of age, profession, or place of residence. Participation is voluntary and anonymous, and completing the questionnaire takes only a few minutes. The information collected will be used exclusively for research purposes.

A One Health Approach to Antimicrobial Resistance

The survey is part of Reuse4Food, a research project that investigates how antibiotics, antimicrobial-resistant bacteria, and resistance genes can spread through the environment and contribute to one of the world’s most pressing health challenges: antimicrobial resistance.

To address this issue, the project adopts a One Health approach, which recognizes the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health. Understanding how medicines are used, stored, and disposed of in households is an important step towards promoting more sustainable practices and reducing potential impacts on ecosystems and public health.

Research and Citizen Engagement

In addition to its scientific activities, Reuse4Food promotes citizen science and public engagement initiatives that bring research closer to society and encourage active public participation. As part of the project, secondary school students from the Madrid region have already taken part in educational activities and data collection initiatives related to medicine recycling and household medicine cabinets.

The new survey expands these efforts to the wider public, providing valuable insights into citizens’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding medicine disposal and recycling.

Your Participation Matters

Every response will help researchers better understand how medicines are managed in households and will contribute to the development of future evidence-based awareness and outreach activities.

For this reason, in addition to completing the survey, we encourage you to share it with family members, friends, and colleagues. Wider participation will help generate more representative results and strengthen the project’s scientific impact.

Reuse4Food (CIVP22S18420) is a project funded by the Ramón Areces Foundation and with the support of Ortigosa Pharmacy.