1) The Policy Highlights are available in French, see below: L'Essentiel : Gestion des déchets pharmaceutiques ménagers - Limiter les impacts environnementaux des médicaments non utilisés ou périmés. 2) Missed the launch of the report during the OECD Green Talks LIVE? Watch the video replay.
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L'Essentiel - Gestion des déchets pharmaceutiques des ménages : Limiter l’impact environnemental des médicaments non utilisés ou périmés
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launch event video replay: OECD green talks livE
Pharmaceutical household waste from expired or unused medicine does not only offer zero therapeutic benefit, but also contributes to environmental pollution when disposed of via improper routes. Medicines discarded in sinks and flushed down toilets enter sewage waters and, if not filtered out, leak into aquatic systems. Disposal of unused and expired medicines via solid household waste can also result in pharmaceutical residues entering the environment if this waste is illegally dumped, or destined for landfills. In addition to environmental risks, unused or expired medicine not only present a possible public health risk of accidental or intentional misuse and poisoning, but also constitute wasted healthcare resources. Where do OECD countries stand on consumption and disposal of pharmaceuticals? What is the role for policy makers and how can collection schemes help to prevent, collect and treat unused and expired medicines to protect human health and our environment? On 10 May 2022, experts explored these questions and more during the launch of the OECD report on Management of Pharmaceutical Household Waste: Limiting Environmental Impacts of Unused or Expired Medicine. This report provides an overview of available data on pharmaceutical consumption and disposal practices across OECD countries, reviews existing collection schemes and provides recommendations to avoid leakage into the environment. The webinar included a presentation of the key findings and discussion with experts:
Watch the video replay / Access the presentation