Dosed Without Prescription: Preventing Pharmaceutical Contamination of Our Nation's Drinking Water

This paper, presented by National Resources Defence Council (NRDC), provides recommendations for reducing pharmaceutical contamination of waterways and drinking water, to control the flow of pharmaceuticals entering the water systems and minimise the impacts of the pollution they cause.

It states the range of drugs found in the water includes antibiotics, hypertensive and cholesterol-lowering drugs, antidepressants, analgesics, steroids, caffeine and reproductive hormones.

The paper claims that medical facilities are bigger polluters than households, hence medical professionals, including doctors, nurses, pharmacists or administrators have to be educated regarding the issue.

The paper details five target areas needed to protect people and the environment: improve drug design, tighten FDA approval processes, improve pharmaceutical production processes, reduce unnecessary pharmaceutical use and dispose of pharmaceuticals more safely.