Umweltbundesamt
Click to enlargePollution of the environment by pharmaceuticals is a growing problem. Environmentally sound disposal helps to reduce their unnecessary entry into the environment. To address this issue the German Environment Agency has set up the portal ‘Pharmaceuticals and the environment.’ It provides information and recommendations for pharmaceutical and medical professionals as well as for consumers.
Medications are indispensable and their use usually increases as we age. However, pharmaceutical residues often end up in wastewater and the environment through excretion, washing and bathing, or improper disposal. Sewage treatment plants are often unable to completely remove these substances, meaning that they end up in the water cycle.
Due to their high biological activity, pharmaceutical substances have a targeted effect on organisms and can influence not only the human body, but also other living organisms and ecosystems. They can alter the metabolism of organisms, interfere with hormonal balances, and influence the transmission of signals between cells.
In Germany, expired and unused medications are disposed of incorrectly at times. As there is no nationwide standardised disposal method, citizens have to inform themselves how to safely dispose of those substances on the Internet, which has an abundance of information of how to do so safely. But all too often, leftover or expired medications end up in the toilet or sink instead of in residual waste or at recycling centres.
We all can play our part in reducing the amount of pharmaceutical residues entering the environment. However, environmentally safe disposal of medications is just one part of the solution. Healthcare professionals play a key role in raising consumer awareness of the environmental issues linked to pharmaceutical residues. To support educational work on this topic in pharmacies and doctors' surgeries, the UBA has teamed up with healthcare professionals to issue guidelines on how to dispose of medications safely and to provide target-group-specific information and teaching materials. The following practical measures are easy to implement and help to protect the environment:
Internet portal ‘Pharmaceuticals and the environment’:
The UBA portal provides easy-to-understand information on the environmental impact of medicinal products. It is intended for patients, doctors and pharmacists alike. Its purpose is to encourage the responsible use of medicines and reduce environmental pollution.
Link: https://www.uba.de/hmp
Information for patients:
As a central point of counselling, pharmacies can play an important role in reducing pharmaceutical residues in the environment. The UBA provides free materials for this purpose, including multilingual leaflets detailing the recommended regional disposal route and postcards offering disposal tips.
Link: https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/en/informational-materials-on-pharmaceuticals-the
We invite all interested parties to take advantage of the programme. Together we can contribute to a healthier environment.
The UBA’s motto, For our environment (“Für Mensch und Umwelt”), sums up our mission pretty well, we feel. In this video we give an insight into our work.
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