A £1.19m grant has been awarded to a project aiming to reduce the environmental impact of discarded medicine.
Starting with a national pilot in Scotland, the new project is called PhRESHWater (Pharmaceuticals Reduction in the Environment through Sustainable Healthcare).
It will apply what the project team has described as a “systems-based ‘One Health’ approach that recognises the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health”.
It said by working “collaboratively across the healthcare, water, and environmental sectors, the project will co-develop practical solutions at multiple points in the pharmaceutical lifecycle”.
Flushed
The university said pharmaceutical pollution in “rivers, lochs and coastal waters is an internationally recognised public health and environmental challenge.
“Pollution can arise across the entire pharmaceutical lifecycle – from production, prescribing, and patient use to disposal and wastewater treatment.
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“Following administration, up to 90% of some medicines may be excreted unchanged, entering wastewater systems that were not designed to remove these compounds.
“Additional pollution occurs when unused or expired medicines are incorrectly flushed down toilets or sinks rather than returned to pharmacies for safe disposal.
“As a result, medicines such as antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, and antidepressants have been detected in Scottish waters. These substances are designed to have biological effects in humans and may similarly affect aquatic life, while also contributing to the environmental spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).”
Eco-toxicity
The School of Pharmacy at the University of Nottingham is working with the University of the Highlands and Islands, The James Hutton Institute, NHS Highland and Heriot-Watt University on the project.
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“Considering the complicated issues around eco-toxicity and pharmaceutical pollution, it is great to build on our previous project, and strengthen our multidisciplinary collaboration,” said Dr Naoko Arakawa from the University of Nottingham.
The project aims to “generate new evidence, tools, and resources to support coordinated action on pharmaceutical pollution” that is hopes will help “safeguard environmental and human health while enabling the healthcare and water sectors to meet sustainability goals”.
