Date of Award

January 2016

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Agricultural Economics

First Advisor

Kwamena K. Quagrainie

Committee Member 1

Wallace E. Tyner

Committee Member 2

Juan Pablo Sesmero

Abstract

There has been increasing concern about the environmental impact of pharmaceutical accumulations in surface and groundwater over the last two decades due to their improper disposal. Improper storage of these pharmaceuticals at home also poses a public health concern given its association with drug abuse and accidental poisoning. Several states in the U.S., including those bordering the Great Lakes, have implemented medicine take-back programs to help mitigate problems associated with unused and unwanted pharmaceuticals kept in households. Although positive benefits for society and the environment have been reported for these programs, the perceived monetary value has not been estimated. This thesis assessed the determinants of household participation in a medicine take-back program and estimated the value of a pharmaceutical collection program through a contingent valuation procedure.

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