A Review on Eco-Pharmacovigilance

Abstract

Pharmaceuticals in the environment have the potential to be hazardous to human beings. The science related to understanding, detection, assessment, and activities for prevention of adverse effects or other problems due to the existence of pharmaceutical pollution in the environment is Ecopharmacovigilance. Drug use in both the human and veterinary population is escalating day by day. The potential routes of environmental entry are patient excretion, direct release into waste water system, terrestrial deposition. Exposure of human beings and animals to drugs through environment imposes a great threat. The important one is microbial resistance due to continuous exposure to low dose of antimicrobial through drinking water. The difficult part of Ecopharmacovigilance is to determine relationship between cause and effect. In order to reduce the Pharmaceutical exposure; the approaches that have been taken are to reduce generation of pharmaceutical waste, use of green pharmacy, increase the efficiency of sewage treatment plants, better drug disposal programs. Both PV and EPV aim to monitor the adverse effects of Pharmaceuticals. The drug regulations for Ecopharmacovigilance in various countries are ERA, RCRA, and RMM which govern era of pharmaceuticals. As India is a hub of Pharmaceutical companies, it is the reason that leads to precedent drug contamination of surfaces, ground drinking water. To reduce the effects of pharmaceuticals there is need to setup a strong law concerning EPV. Increasing transparency and availability of environmental data for medicinal products is a key element in successful EPV.
Keywords: Ecopharmacovigilance, Microbial Resistance, Relationship between cause and effect, Drug regulations, Transparency