Science: Green pharma that makes pharmaceuticals more sustainable

In the article, published in the prestigious scientific journal Science, a team of international researchers, including Gorka Orive, Pharm, Ph.
D.
, of UPV/EHU's NanoBioCel group and Unax Lertxundi of the Bioaraba Health Institute, warned about the increase in drug contamination
.
"Despite growing evidence that drug contamination can have wide-ranging effects, it has not received the attention
it deserves," the group of scientists said.
"While there are signs that this may change, there is still a long way to go
.
"

According to the article, humans consume more drugs than ever before; Global drug use reached 4.
5 billion doses in 2020, and consumption continues to rise
.
What's more, the drug is also used in a wide range of livestock and livestock
.
Although drug use brings great benefits to human and animal health, it has also led to an increase in
drug pollution in ecosystems worldwide.

According to UNESCO, 80% of wastewater currently flows into ecosystems without any treatment, and nearly 20% of treated wastewater still contains excreted drugs and pathogens
.
As a result, drugs are found in many different environments on all continents, and the reason they have a profound impact on ecosystems is precisely because they are effective as medicines: they are molecules designed to bring about biological change, even in extremely low
concentrations.
Studies have shown that wild aquatic animals can accumulate pharmaceutical products and that pharmaceutical pollutants alter the behaviour, adaptations and dynamics
of populations, communities and ecosystems.

Research, awareness-raising and further steps

In addition to analyzing the background of global drug contamination, the researchers also analyzed the background
of research conducted in various areas (toxicity, elimination, ecological impact, pharmacological case studies, etc.
).
They also point to the areas of research that
need to be addressed in order to solve this problem.

The group of researchers believes that if drug contamination is to be effectively addressed, and the goal of "One Health" is to be achieved comprehensively, that is, health and environmental problems must be comprehensively addressed, a comprehensive approach
to the source and end-of-pipe processes must be implemented.
The pharmaceutical industry and its customers need to assess and adjust many aspects of
the drug life cycle.
"There is a need to design and formulate greener drugs that have less impact on the environment – for example, to make them less biologically active or easier to remove from the environment – and pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities require better wastewater management
.
" Drugs need to be used wisely and responsibly in both human and veterinary medicine, and non-pharmacological interventions
should be prioritized where possible.
They said
.
They also said it was crucial
to educate health professionals about the effects of drug contamination.

However, they note, "it is important to remember the primary role of drug therapy, which is to ensure that patients have access to life-enhancing drugs
.
" Recognizing that the environmental impact of drugs can have unforeseen social impacts, such as reluctance to take medications, feelings of guilt after taking them, and increased mistrust and resentment not only for the pharmaceutical industry, but for drug treatment as a whole"
.
They also warn of the danger
of reduced access to medicines "due to policy or price changes that reflect environmental impacts.
" While conflicts of interest may be unavoidable, it is possible to limit the negative consequences of drugs while benefiting
society.
It's
time to make green drug treatments a reality.
”

reference

Gorka Orive, Unax Lertxundi, Tomas Brodin, Peter Manning Green Pharmacy Science DOI: 10.
1126/ Science.
abp9554