SUMMARY PRACTICE

On the website, “Citizen Campaign for the Environment”,Iburch(2015) reports on the adverse impact that improper pharmaceutical waste disposal has on the environment. Improper pharmaceutical waste disposal contaminates potable water sources. It is mentioned by the same author that “low levels of drugs such as antibiotics ,hormones ,contraceptives and steroids are found in 80% of the rivers and streams”.Thus,these water sources are unsafe for consumption and usage.At the same time, it harms the marine life and humans by leaving them vunerable to these pharmaceutical waste residues even at low concentration. Some side effects for living organisms include irregular hormonal cycle, antibiotic resistance to drugs and male fish laying eggs due to prolong exposure to hormones. Legalisation and raising public awareness on proper pharmaceutical waste disposal have been put in place to mitigate these prevailing issue.