Environmental and health impacts of improper disposal of expired medicine

Abstract

Abstract

Pharmaceuticals are an essential part of modern health care, but their manufacture, use and disposal generate a growing stream of pharmaceutical waste that, if not properly managed, can raise environmental and public-health concerns. Pharmaceutical waste is defined as expired, unused, damaged, rejected or contaminated medicines and materials generated from households, healthcare facilities, pharmacies, pharmaceutical industries, veterinary services and research laboratories. The review deals with the major sources and improper disposal practices of pharmaceutical waste, especially disposal in household waste, sewer systems, open burning, municipal waste streams, and uncontrolled dumping. Such practices can open the door for pharmaceutical residues to enter soil, groundwater, surface water, wastewater systems and the atmosphere, offering routes for environmental and possible human exposure through drinking water and the food chain.

The review also addresses reported environmental concerns, including water and soil contamination, aquatic toxicity, and ecological disruption, and potential human-health concerns, including antimicrobial resistance, endocrine disruption, and toxicity associated with some pharmaceutical compounds. Major regulatory approaches of WHO, FDA, EPA and Indian biomedical-waste management framework are discussed. Current management approaches including segregation, controlled incineration, encapsulation, inertization and drug take-back programs are also discussed. While the problem is increasingly recognized, there are still gaps in public awareness, environmental monitoring, implementation of regulations and evidence from developing countries. Thus, future pharmaceutical-waste management should focus on sustainable disposal technologies, accessible take-back systems, increased monitoring and awareness, and better traceability along the pharmaceutical-waste life cycle.

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Yuvraj Singh Kumpawat, Tanisha Arora. ENVIRONMENTAL AND HEALTH IMPACTS OF IMPROPER DISPOSAL OF EXPIRED MEDICINE. ClinSphere Journals. 2026;1(1). https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23385162