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.
Recommended Citation
Vielma Delano, Sofia Katherina, "An Economic Assessment of Household Unwanted Medicine Disposal Programs" (2016). Open Access Theses. 1136.
https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/open_access_theses/1136