Drugs in the environment - ecopharmacovigilance for better health

Monday 31 October 2011

Venue: Royal Society of Medicine, 1 Wimpole Street, LONDON, W1G 0AE

We are no longer accepting registrations for this meeting via the website. If you would like to attend this meeting, please contact Beilul Kahsai directly on 020 7290 3859.


A one day meeting organised by the Epidemiology & Public Health Section in association with the University of Verona (Italy).
This meeting is under the patronage of: the International Society of Doctors for the Environment; the International Society of Pharmacovigilance; the Reference Centre for Education and Communication within the WHO Programme for International Drug Monitoring (Verona, IT); the University of Verona (IT).
We would like to thank the Menarini Foundation, Firenze, Italy for supporting the meeting with an unrestricted educational grant.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

Ecopharmacovigilance is an emerging issue of great interest. It can be defined as the science and activities concerning detection, assessment, understanding and prevention of adverse effects or other problems related to the presence of pharmaceuticals in the environment which affect human and other animal species.

During the 20th century, thousands of chemicals have been introduced into the market and used in everyday life, in industry and agriculture. This was 'blindly' carried out without considering the direct and indirect consequences on human health, on animal species and on the environment. Every year an estimated 100.000 tons of antibiotics are used all over the world. Many drugs are available on the market and their number keeps growing. Today, approximately 3000 different pharmaceuticals are commonly used in Europe.

Drugs may affect a wide range of environmental organisms and are present in drinking and surface water. The presence of widely-dispersed drugs and drug metabolites in the environment poses a potential directly, and indirect, risk to humans.
The meeting will explore:
- how the nature and extent of the potential risks might be further investigated and assessed;
- how the safe disposal of medicines might be achieved - and promoted;
- how the volume of medicines finding their way into the environment might be reduced.

Some proposed solutions will be discussed, such as: increased efficiency of sewage treatment plants; better education on drug use both for prescribers and consumers; high bio-degradability of medicines in the environment; new eco-compatible ways to synthesize drugs (“green pharmaceuticals”).

This meeting will be invaluable for those wishing to learn more about this important issue or looking to raise awareness among others about the link between drugs and the environment.

Registration Details:
Consultant/GP: £140
RSM Student: £35
RSM Trainee: £55
RSM Associate: £55
RSM Fellow: £65
Student: £45
Trainee: £65
Allied Health Professional: £65