School of Business

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Open Access
Management and safe disposal of unwanted medicines in community pharmacies in Sri Lanka
(Frontiers Media SA, 2026-07-10) Perera, C; Herath, R
Introduction – Pharmaceutical pollutants, such as antibiotics and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), have been detected in Sri Lankan waterways. These contaminants may arise from multiple sources, including community pharmacy disposal practices. This raises concerns that improper disposal of unwanted medicines poses an increasing risk to the environment and public health. Community pharmacies—both chain and independent pharmacies—serve as the final point in the pharmaceutical supply chain at the community level and play a crucial role in managing the disposal of unwanted medicines. This study aimed to explore the current practices, factors influencing these practices, and strategies for improving the management and safe disposal of unwanted medicines in community pharmacies in Sri Lanka. Methods – A qualitative research design was adopted. Semi-structured interviews using the validated interview guide were conducted with the participants. The participants primarily comprised the community pharmacists representing both chain and independent pharmacies operating in the Western Province of Sri Lanka. Participants were selected through purposive sampling. Interviews were conducted until data saturation was achieved. Using the thematic analysis, emerging reporting patterns within the data were identified. Results – The study identified four main themes: current disposal and waste management practices; factors influencing and limiting disposal practices; perceptions and attitudes toward disposal responsibility; and recommendations for improvement. Community pharmacies use various methods for medicine disposal and pharmaceutical waste management. Their practices are primarily influenced by the absence of proper medicine collection mechanisms, weak regulation, limited awareness, and inadequate disposal facilities. Pharmacists suggested implementing a well-structured medicine collection system, strengthening laws, and conducting awareness programs to minimize pharmaceutical waste. Discussion – Although a regulatory framework exists for pharmaceutical waste management, implementation and monitoring within community pharmacies, particularly independent pharmacies, remain limited. Furthermore, these pharmacies have fewer facilities to carry out safe drug disposal practices. Research revealed the need for improved infrastructure, tighter regulatory supervision, and increased awareness programs to address these challenges. Implementing a well-coordinated national medicine collection program and improving awareness of safe medicine disposal are important measures for protecting the environment and public health.
Embargo
Navigating economic crisis: Factors shaping resilience in Sri Lankan construction SME supply chains
(Taylor and Francis Ltd., 2025) Madhavika, N; Bandara, M; Manchanayake, M; Perera, C; Bandara, W; Jayasinghe, P; Ehalapitiya, S
In today’s construction industry, supply chains are subject to much greater disruption than they were in the past, resulting in a greater need for resilience. However, there is a gap in the literature that examines the resilience of construction small and medium scale Enterprises (SMEs) specifically focusing on developing countries. This article is a step towards identifying the factors influencing the resilience of construction SME supply chains taking the case of Sri Lanka: a developing country which is currently amidst a major economic crisis. This research study adopted a mixed-method approach, employing 08 structured interviews with employees ranging from executive level to top level management of 08 construction SMEs followed by a questionnaire survey considering a sample of 195 construction SMEs also with executive level to top level management of each construction SME. The findings indicated that Collaboration, Entrepreneurial Orientation (EO), Internal Integration, and Outsourcing have a positive significant impact on the resilience of Sri Lankan construction SMEs’ supply chains during an economic crisis, while ‘collaboration’ and ‘EO’ are the most influential factors respectively. Therefore, construction SMEs must prioritize and enhance collaboration and EO when devising supply chain strategies to strengthen resilience during economic crises. This paper contributes to filling the research gap by investigating factors influencing construction SME supply chains in a developing country during an economic crisis. Moreover, it contributes to the knowledge by being one of the latest empirical studies focusing on the construction SME supply chains in Sri Lanka. The findings provide a valuable reference for both policymakers and practitioners seeking to improve the resilience of construction SME supply chains.
Open Access
An empirical study of students’ satisfaction with professional accounting education programs, Sri Lanka
(researchgate.net, 2020-07-29) Nadishana, G. S. W. Y; Ameen, Z; Kulatunga, K. A; Perera, A; Perera, C; Madhavika, W. D. N; Nagendrakumar, N
This study aims to analyze the factors affecting students' satisfaction with professional accounting courses offered by Professional Accounting Education Institutions, and then aims to assess the impact of students' satisfaction and students' loyalty towards Professional Accounting Education Institutions in Sri Lanka. It is evident that a significant gap exists between student enrolment and the rate of students’ passing out as professional accountants as per the annual reports of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka and the Institute of Certified Management Accountants of Sri Lanka (2014-2018). The study adopted a deductive methodology while employing a stratified random sampling technique and distributed 500 questionnaires which had a response rate of 80%. The data was analyzed using structural equation modeling via SPSS and AMOS versions 25. The study concludes that course assessment and institutional image, teaching methods, teaching staff, course organization and infrastructure facilities, and institutional administration and efficiency significantly impact the student satisfaction. And also, it concludes that the students’ satisfaction significantly impacts students’ loyalty. This study add value to the literature by focusing the students’ satisfaction from two extreme angles (i.e., students’ need and loyalty) and introduces a new model which would enhance the appropriate administration of the Professional Accounting Education Institutions

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