How can Medications be Reduced in the Environment? A Critique

Abstract

The global problem of drugs in the environment, both human and veterinary, is being investigated. Despite advances in our understanding of its sources, fates, and effects, risk assessment and prevention efforts are still limited to single cases. The global problem of drugs in the environment, both human and veterinary, is being investigated. Despite advances in our understanding of its sources, fates, and effects, risk assessment and prevention efforts are still limited to single cases. As a result, such acts were summarized and categorized into the following groups in the presented review: A. pharmaceutical design, synthesis, and manufacture, B. prescription, sales, and waste management, and C. source control using sophisticated technologies. Because the total number of proposed actions was determined to be fairly large, the pyramid of needs was used to propose a ranking based on the term of effects. The advantages of measures performed in the first steps of the pharmaceutical life cycle (acting upstream) over actions taken at the end of the pipeline and the use of modern technologies. With the help of expert opinions, technologies (the downstream option) were discussed.