Exploring Influential Factors with Structural Equation Modeling–Artificial Neural Network to Involve Medicine Users in Home Medicine Waste Management and Preventing Pharmacopollution

The appropriate management of home medical waste is of paramount importance due to the adverse consequences that arise from improper handling. Incorrect disposal practices can lead to pharmacopollution, which poses significant risks to environmental integrity and human well-being. Involving medicine users in waste management empowers them to take responsibility for their waste and make informed decisions to safeguard the environment and public health. The objective of this research was to contribute to the prevention of pharmacopollution by identifying influential factors that promote responsible disposal practices among medicine users. Factors such as attitude, marketing campaigns, collection points, safe handling, medical prescription, package contents, and public policies and laws were examined. To analyze the complex relationships and interactions among these factors, a dual-staged approach was employed, utilizing advanced statistical modeling techniques and deep learning artificial neural network algorithms. Data were collected from 952 respondents in Pernambuco, a state in northeastern Brazil known for high rates of pharmacopollution resulting from improper disposal of household medical waste. The results of the study indicated that the propositions related to safety in handling and medical prescription were statistically rejected in the structural equation modeling (SEM) model. However, in the artificial neural network (ANN) model, these two propositions were found to be important predictors of cooperative behavior, highlighting the ANN’s ability to capture complex, non-linear relationships between variables. The findings emphasize the significance of user cooperation and provide insights for the development of effective strategies and policies to address pharmacopollution.