Greening the pill

There is an urgent need for concerted measures and renewed commitment from pharma companies and policy makers to halt the advance of drug pollution and its disastrous impact on the environment

India is the global host for 2018 World Environment Day, to be observed on June 5, as part of the UN’s endeavour to spread awareness and draw attention towards pressing environmental concerns. As part of this year’s theme, ‘Beat plastic pollution’, India joins global leaders in tackling the huge menace of plastic waste and seeking solutions to this mammoth challenge.

But, even as we train our focus towards this pertinent issue, it’s time we recognised and addressed another environmental concern of the same magnitude – drug pollution.

Yes, ironically, the pharma industry, entrusted with the role of saving and improving lives, is allegedly one of the major contributors to environmental pollution. And, the Indian pharma industry, often called the ‘Pharmacy of the World’ has been named as a chief perpetrator of this transgression.

Drugging the environment

It has been accused that in the march towards fulfilling its ambitions of becoming a global pharma powerhouse, India’s pharma sector is responsible for fuelling the creation of an environmental crisis with its poor wastewater management and effluent treatment methods as well as negligence in monitoring and reducing levels of greenhouse gas emissions. Several global studies highlight and caution against the rising drug pollution in India

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