Environmental sustainability-an essential component of rational use of medicinesShow others and affiliations
2024 (English)In: International Journal of Pharmacy Practice, ISSN 0961-7671, E-ISSN 2042-7174, Vol. 33, no 1, p. 102-112Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
Human-use medicines are introduced into surface water throughout their entire life cycle, from manufacturing and consumption to improper disposal, resulting in negative effects on aquatic flora and fauna. Sustainability approaches have addressed this issue, proposing frameworks like the One Health approach. A revised definition of the rational use of medicines has also been proposed, taking into account their environmental sustainability. Building on this updated definition, this paper presents a decision-making flowchart to integrate the assessment of the impact of human medicines on surface water, outlining existing actions and proposing new ones. These actions are categorized into those with primary clinical benefits and those focused solely on environmental concerns. They include both upstream and downstream measures, such as implementing regulations similar to those in the EU and the USA, educating future healthcare practitioners, promoting green pharmacy innovations, and establishing proper disposal practices.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Oxford University Press, 2024. Vol. 33, no 1, p. 102-112
Keywords [en]
environmental sustainability, rational use of medicines, One Health
National Category
Environmental Sciences Medicinal Chemistry
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-555078DOI: 10.1093/ijpp/riae073ISI: 001387909600001PubMedID: 39740044Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85217537657OAI: oai:DiVA.org:uu-555078DiVA, id: diva2:1954049
2025-04-232025-04-232025-04-23Bibliographically approved