What can be done?

1Pharmaceutical companies could be required to evaluate the excretion percentage and possible transformations of each drug for which it seeks approval.

2Municipal water management systems could be required to test the area water supply on a regular basis for the presence of specified pharmaceuticals and to report the results to the public and to an appropriate agency.

3Consumers could be required to dispose of unused drugs in a specified manner. The EPA has recently published guidelines (see link below).

4Companies could be encouraged to develop filtering processes which would remove a greater percentage of the pharmaceutical chemicals.

Given its potential to alter the lifecycle of fish, animals, and humans, emerging pharmaceutical contamination certainly warrants greater attention and study by governments and their environmental agencies. For further information, refer to these articles:

• Environmental Health Perspectives Volume 107, Supplement 6, December 1999 “Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products in the Environment: Agents of Subtle Change?” Christian G. Daughton and Thomas A. Ternes http://www.ameliaww.com/fpin/ProductsEnv.htm#summ
• USGS Fact Sheet FS-027-02 June 2002 “Pharmaceuticals, Hormones, and Other Organic Wastewater Contaminants in U.S. Streams” http://toxics.usgs.gov/pubs/FS-027-02/
• CNN.com March 10, 2008 “Prescription drugs found in drinking water across U.S.” http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/03/10/pharma.water1/index.html
• Office of National Drug Control February 2007 “Federal Government Issues New Guidelines For Proper Disposal Of Prescription Drugs: What Every American Can Do To Prevent Misuse Of Prescription Drugs” http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/news/press07/022007.html