Pharmaceuticals Interest Group Open Meeting on Global Research and Regulatory Update
Tools addressing environmental impact of drug utilization – the role of pharmacoepidemiology
The WHO called climate change “the single biggest health threat facing humanity”. In industrialized countries, healthcare systems account for closer to 10% of national emissions, with prescription drug use being the third biggest contributor. Drug utilization is far from sustainable. Issues range from overuse and inappropriate use among prescribers and patients to stockpiling and inappropriate waste management. An increasing number of studies have shown traces of medicines in water from sewage treatment plants as well as in lakes and rivers across all continents. Pharmacoepidemiologists are equipped to address many of these issues. The recently formed Environmental Pharmacoepidemiology (EnvPE) SIG, research addresses the intersection among medications, medical devices, vaccines and environmental factors and influences. This webinar will focus on drug utilization and pharmaceutical waste, an important EnvPE area, addressing the following critical questions: How can pharmacoepidemiologists reduce the environmental and health burdens from pharmaceuticals? What pharmacoepidemiology method tools can be used? The presentations target different approaches how to assessing environmental aspects of drug utilization:
- Introduction to environmental pharmacoepidemiology and pharmaceutical waste
- Assessing the environmental burden of drug utilization using databases
Key considerations when using registries in studies of pharmaceuticals in the environment. How can these be used in promoting sustainable drug use? - Opportunities with primary data collection in environmental research
How can quantitative and qualitative surveys and interviews contribute to a better understanding about pharmaceuticals in the environment and strategies forward? - Wastewater-based epidemiology - monitoring pharmaceuticals in sewage treatment plants, lakes and rivers
How can analyses of human metabolic excretion products in wastewater and in the environment be analysed for a better understanding of the extent of the problem? - Panel-discussion
The webinar will conclude with a panel discussion on how pharmacoepidemiologists can promote a more “environmental-friendly” drug prescribing and use. The panel will address issues including availability of data, environmental hazard/risk, temporal relationship between drug use and environmental impact, and the value of these studies for decision-making.
The meeting will be held twice to accommodate different time zones. Another meeting will be held on 4 February from 17:00-19:30 CET.