Tools for healthcare professionals to tackle pharmaceutical pollution

Between 30-90% of orally administered pharmaceuticals are excreted into wastewater as active substances in the faeces and urine of patients. Because they are primarily designed to eliminate biodegradable substances, wastewater treatment plants have low removal efficiency for most pharmaceuticals, which can be discharged into the aquatic environment and enter the water cycle.

Antibiotics, cytostatics, synthetic hormones, anti-inflammatory drugs, and sedatives, in particular, can have harmful effects. They can cause behavioural, physiological, and histological issues to animals and other exposed organisms and drive the development of antimicrobial resistance, a serious public health threat.

The healthcare sector is well positioned to reduce pharmaceutical pollution. Medical doctors, in particular, can play a key role in reducing unnecessary pharmaceutical emissions and waste by adopting simple practices, educating patients, and engaging with healthcare leaders to change procurement and prescription practices.

In this session, we will:

• Raise awareness about the healthcare sector’s contribution to pharmaceutical pollution
• Present practices that healthcare professionals, especially doctors, can take to reduce pharmaceutical emissions and waste
• Provide recommendations for educating patients about responsible pharmaceutical use and disposal practices