Pharmaceutical Group submits Best Practice Paper
Community pharmacists share the increasing concerns on the negative effects pharmaceuticals can cause on the environment, and as a result, on public and animal health.
As medicines experts they are well placed to increase public awareness, promote the prudent use and correct disposal of pharmaceuticals, and provide advice on the availability of ‘greener’ pharmaceuticals where such information is available.
Moreover, it is also vital that the network of 400.000+ community pharmacies in Europe are guided and supported to help contributing to a healthier planet as much as possible. Environmental protection contributes to safeguarding the health and safety of future generations; at the same time medicines play a critical role in ensuring a high level of public health.
A right balance needs to be achieved between increased awareness and appropriate policy approaches to prevent the potential negative effects pharmaceuticals can cause on the environment on the one hand, and access to safe and effective medicines with demonstrated benefits on public health on the other.
The Pharmaceutical Group of the European Union (PGEU) has published a paper which outlines the contribution that community pharmacists can make in promoting a green and sustainable future for pharmacy in Europe and provides an overview of ongoing best practices across Europe.
PGEU calls for a number of coordinated actions that should be taken at different policy levels.
In particular, PGEU calls on:
Member States, in close collaboration with the European Commission and the European Medicines Agency (EMA), to:
Take action to increase the public awareness on the prudent use and waste collection of pharmaceuticals. Community pharmacists are, as medicine experts, ideally placed to advise patients on the appropriate handling and disposal of pharmaceuticals and should therefore be closely engaged in any public campaigns.
Develop guidelines and information materials for healthcare professionals on the prudent use of pharmaceuticals. For community pharmacists, these guidelines should be developed in close collaboration with the national and local pharmacy associations to ensure an appropriate integration in pharmacy practice.
Explore the inclusion of environmental aspects for pharmaceuticals posing a risk to or via the environment in the training of pharmacy students and continuous professional development programmes as part of a One Health approach. Develop and ensure compliance with environmental quality standards for pharmaceuticals as a measure to promote greener manufacturing.
Ensure appropriate funding of pharmacy-led disposal and collection schemes for medicines and used sharps, where implemented, as an easily accessible channel for the public to correctly dispose of their leftover or expired medicines and used sharps.
Reduce pharmaceutical waste caused by leftover medicines by ensuring that systems are in place that encourage the prescription and dispensing of quantities of certain risk medicines in package sizes matching the duration of treatment as much as possible.
Support the development of environmentally friendly practices and sustainability policies in pharmacies.
The European Commission to:
Ensure that actions to address the risk of pharmaceuticals in the environment do not jeopardise sufficient room for independent clinical decision making by healthcare professionals on public health grounds.
Fund and encourage more research to fill current existing knowledge gaps on the potential negative impact of pharmaceuticals on the environment as well as the links between the presence of antimicrobials in the environment and the development and spread of antimicrobial resistance.
Foster best-practice exchanges between Member States on measures addressing the growing presence and negative impact of pharmaceuticals in the environment.
Encourage action in third countries where pharmaceutical emissions from manufacturing and other sources are suspected of contributing to the global spread of antimicrobial resistance.
