The Opportunities for Minimizing the Environmental Load of PPCPs

Poseidon's Trident, LLC

Nicholas D. Anastas, Ph.D., M.S.

Green PharmacyThe Opportunities for Minimizing the

Environmental Load of PPCPs

Nicholas D. Anastas, Ph.D., M.S.Poseidon’s Trident, LLC

Triumvirate ConferenceNovember 20, 2008



Overview of the Talk

• History of PPCPs in the environment

• Lifecycle of PPCPs

• Greening each phase of the lifecycle

• Next steps



History of Environmental PPCPs

• Interest in environmental PPCPs has been a growing since the 1980s in Europe; more recently in U.S. (Daughton 2001).

• Federal, state and academic groups have contributed to these advancements.

• Daughton and others have been leading efforts in U.S. (Toxicol. Lett., 2002).



Increased Awareness of Environmental PPCPs

• In the scientific literature– Kolpin et al., 2002

– Daughton, 2003

• In the popular press– AP five part series in March 2008

• Response of federal and state regulatory agencies– EPA

– States



Environmental side effects of medication

• Non-target effects of medicines– Human and veterinary

• Antibiotics– Disposal influences soil microorganisms

• Potential changes to metabolism

• Anti-neoplastics

• Metabolism to more active products



History of Green Pharmacy

• Green Medicine (Kreig, M., 1964)– Ethnobotanical approach

• Green Pharmacy ( Duke, J., 1997)– Herbal approach

• Green Pharmacy (Daughton, C., 2003)– Environmental approach



Stages of PPCP LifecycleDiscovery and development

Manufacturing

Distribution

Prescribing

Disposal



Discovery and Development

• Opportunities for green pharmacy– Green chemistry– Green chemical design

• Improved selectivity (pharmacodynamics)

• Quick environmental degradation to innocuous products

– Improved potency• Enhanced absorption (e.g., “Rule of Five”)



Manufacture and Distribution

• Use recycled materials when possible

• Design packaging for biodegradability and recycling



Pill Economy

• Every pill manufactured using green design principles

• Every pill manufactured is prescribed

• Every pill prescribed is taken

• Unused/unwanted pills are recycled or completely destroyed



Prescribing

• Encourage judicious prescribing– At the heart of pill economy– Need to change the current approach in the

medical profession

• Automated dispensing– Pyxis system

• Prescribing prn



Disposal

• Flushing should be strongly discouraged– Environmentally damaging– Encouraged for some pharmaceuticals– Must provide other options

• Incineration

• Recycling programs

• Take-back programs



Take-back programs

• Reverse distribution– Pharmaceutical companies reclaim unused and out of

date medications• Limited to hospitals and pharmacies

• Hazardous waste recycling days• Returns to pharmacy for residential customers• Mail-back programs

– Maine is a good example



Environmental Pharmacy

• Taught as part of the core curriculum– Medical schools– Schools of pharmacy– Nursing programs

• Industry examples– Pharmaceutical roundtable (PIE)– PhATE and PhACT



Opportunities for the medical community to support Green Pharmacy

• Research– Support for the discovery and development of

safer medicines

• Education– Incorporate environmental pharmacy– Provide brochures to patients and medical staff



Available Options and Tools to Encourage Green Pharmacy

• Promote the use of green chemistry– Already part of pharmaceutical and industrial

chemical manufacturer’s practices

• Change education– Incorporate “environmental pharmacy” into the

curricula• Medical and pharmacy schools• Nursing programs

• Take-back programs



Uncertainties Associated With Implementing a Green Pharmacy

• Sources– Disposal– Excretion

• Occurrence– National vs. local data

• Treatment• Hazard assessment• Fate and transport



Conclusions

• The practice of “green pharmacy” has already begun

• Green pharmacy is a holistic approach to reducing the environmental load of PPCPs

The Opportunities for Minimizing the Environmental Load of PPCPs

Health & Medicine

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