Regulating drugs in our
environment
Pharmaceuticals in the Environment Belgrave Square, London,
1 March 2005
 Next
March sees our Pharmaceuticals In The Environment – fate,
effects and regulation conference, to be held at SCI headquarters
in London.
‘This conference has been sparked off by an increasing
number of studies showing pharmaceuticals in the environment,
and researchers are beginning to look at how these concentrations
affect human and environmental health,’ conference organiser
Dr Alistair Boxall told SCI Members' News.
While a previous SCI conference on endocrine-disrupting chemicals
covered a part of the picture, this event will look at other
medicines such as anti-bacterials, lipid regulators, beta-blockers
and parasiticides, as well as anti-fungal agents such as athlete’s
foot powders.
‘A lot of these over-the-counter drugs go out with the
bath water and into the sewage system,’ Dr Boxall points
out, ‘and veterinary products for pigs, cows and poultry
can also leach from the soil into surface water.’
This meeting focuses on current research on the effects of
medicines in the environment. There has been a good deal of
research in Europe on the subject over the last six or seven
years, especially in Germany. Research has taken off more
slowly in the US, but this is now changing.
The speakers cover a broad area and examine both human and
veterinary pharmaceuticals and the regulations in place. One
especially hot topic under discussion is the effects of anti-bacterials,
and whether their presence in the environment, in water and
in food uptake contributes to the growth of drug-resistant
strains.
‘When you take some medication it may be just for a
few days, but monitoring data indicate the substances are
continuously present in water so organisms (including humans)
may be getting a very low dose all of the time. It is certainly
something that needs looking at,’ Dr Boxall notes.
After the conference there will be a two-day training workshop
at the Central Science Laboratory, York, an Executive Agency
of the UK Government Department for Environment Food and Rural
Affairs.
The Environmental Risk Assessment and Modelling of Pharmaceuticals
workshop is designed for those working in industry, as well
as regulators and consultancies who are involved in the assessment
of human and veterinary medicines. It will provide an overview
of current regulatory requirements and developments through
lectures, tutorials and practical sessions. Hands-on training
is also on offer.
The meeting will take place on 1 March 2005 and is organised
by the BioActive Science Group. Contact Katherine Simpson,
T: +44 (0)20 7598 1566, F: +44 (0)20 7235 7743, E: katherine.simpson@soci.org
for more details or
book online.
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