MOTIVATIONS, CONSEQUENCES, AND PREVENTION OF DRUG DIVERSION: A STUDY OF HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS AT AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY TEACHING HOSPITAL, ZARIA

Abstract

This study explores drug diversion motivations, consequences, and prevention among healthcare professionals at Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH), Zaria. It comprehensively addresses healthcare’s drug diversion issue, investigating drivers, outcomes, and preventive strategies. Primary research questions focus on motives behind drug diversion at ABUTH, Zaria, its consequences, and effective prevention. Employing cross-sectional design, self- administered questionnaires gather data from ABUTH, Zaria’s healthcare professionals. The questionnaire captures sociodemographic, motivations, perceived impact, and preventive recommendations. It includes closed-ended, Likert scale, multiple-choice, and open-ended items. A convenience sample from diverse ABUTH, Zaria departments yields 398 respondents. A pilot study precedes data collection to enhance questionnaire clarity. Adherence to ethical guidelines ensures participant consent, confidentiality, and anonymity. Descriptive statistics analyse data, yielding frequency distributions, percentages for motivations, impact, and preventive strategies. Findings align with literature, identifying addiction as a key motive. Consequences include compromised patient safety, supply chain disruption, legal ramifications, and reputational harm. Vulnerabilities in healthcare systems drive targeted interventions. Recommendations address ABUTH, Zaria’s drug diversion. These include robust controlled substance reviews, transparent drug procurement policies, mandatory medical staff verification, waste area monitoring, and enhanced video surveillance. The study concludes that addressing addiction-driven diversion and prioritizing targeted prevention is productive in curbing drug diversion and that recommended strategies can enhance medication security, patient safety, and healthcare system integrity, fostering a safer, accountable environment.