Context: Proper medication disposal is vital to prevent environmental harm and medication misuse, particularly in a hospice setting. Medication disposal kits are becoming more popular as an effective and environmentally friendly choice. Education and training on this topic are paramount for providers after implementation of a 2018 federal law allowing hospice staff to dispose of patient medications in the home.

Objectives: The goal of this study was to assess knowledge, attitudes, and practices of hospice clinical staff about medication disposal before and after an online medication disposal training.

Methods: Frontline clinical staff at a not-for-profit hospice completed an anonymous survey assessing their knowledge, attitudes, and practices of medication disposal before and after a one-hour synchronous online training about medication disposal. Patient medical record review was conducted to determine frequency of medication disposal methods in this setting.

Results: The one-hour online training was completed by 339 clinical staff in Fall 2020. Pre- and post-training surveys were completed by 278 and 110 clinical staff, respectively. Awareness of the 2018 federal law increased from 59% to 93% following the training. Additionally, a higher proportion of clinical staff reported always educating patients on medication disposal at time of hospice admission (31% vs 46%, p = 0.002) and routinely disposing of medication(s) with patients and families (73% vs 83%, p = 0.048).

Conclusion: This study showed increased patient education about medication disposal by clinical staff and increased medication disposal following a one-hour clinician training. This training has the potential to contribute to improved medication disposal in the hospice setting.