How to clear your medicine cabinet in an environment-friendly way
Sizing up the pharma industry’s environmental impact, of which industrial effluents from manufacturing facilities constitute the bulk, is crucial. The theme of this year’s recently observed Earth Day was to encourage everyone— governments, citizens and businesses—to do their part to invest in our planet.
The improper disposal of drugs and antibiotics has long been linked to being a cause of harm to wildlife and the environment, as well as increasing the risk of antimicrobial resistance. Last week, the FDA started seeking public comment for an initiative that involves the dispensation of opioid drugs, prescribed in the outpatient setting, via prepaid mail-back envelopes. The idea is to encourage and educate patients on how they can send any unused drugs to the Drug Enforcement Administration with ease.