The Misuse of Prescription Drugs
after the 2023 Earthquake in Türkiye:
Insights from Pharmacy Workers
More details
Hide details
2
Bandırma Onyedi Eylül University
3
AGH University of Science and Technology in Krakow
4
Malatya Turgut Özal University
Submission date: 2025-07-12
Acceptance date: 2025-09-22
Publication date: 2025-12-10
Polish Sociological Review 2025;232(4):423-444
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
The misuse of prescription drugs among individuals with substance use disorder (SUD) is a growing
public health concern, particularly after disasters. However, there is limited research on the experiences of
pharmacy workers in such contexts. This qualitative phenomenological study explored the post-earthquake
experiences of 30 pharmacy workers (19 male, 11 female) regarding prescription drug misuse by individuals
with SUD. Data was collected via semi-structured interviews and analyzed thematically. Six themes emerged: the
impact of the 2023 earthquake in Türkiye; misused medications and user characteristics; methods of identifying
individuals with SUD; strategies to combat misuse; violence and security concerns; and Ministry of Health
regulations. Pharmacy workers pointed to an increased misuse of prescription drugs after the earthquake, with
young adults (18–30) being a key risk group. It is recommended that such medications be dispensed only through
hospital pharmacies, under strict control, to reduce misuse and enhance staff safety.