Pharmaceutical pollution: A weakly regulated global environmental risk

Abstract

The effects of pharmaceuticals in the environment (PiE) are well evidenced, yet from an environmental perspective, pharmaceuticals remain weakly regulated internationally. Pharmaceutical pollutants are addressed under the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM), a global framework for the management of chemicals and wastes. We provide an overview of the state of knowledge on PiE and identify international efforts targeting the regulation of PiE, as well as gaps in regulation and how SAICM could address them. ‘Environmentally persistent pharmaceutical pollutants’ (EPPP) was adopted under SAICM as an issue of concern 6 years after ‘nanotechnologies and manufactured nanomaterials’. Our analysis draws on this field to inform the development of policy approaches to EPPP. While there is significant cooperation underway on PiE, initiatives are highly fragmented. The post-2020 SAICM may help bridge the gaps. Further development should be informed by experiences from nanomaterials, particularly with respect to definitions, information gathering and building more integrative approaches.