About the Event
Over the last decades, industrial and scientific progress has had a tremendous impact on our lives, providing new tools and methodologies that has radically transformed societies and healthcare systems. Medicine particularly was one of the sectors more exposed to technological evolution, being impacted by digitalization, new genome editing techniques, advances in precision medicine, immunotherapy, all methods that improved treatments and diagnosis, as well as the relationship between health professionals and patients. However, despite all the benefits, scientific and technological breakthroughs inevitably carry risks and have societal implications. Among them, the introduction of huge quantities of pollutants emitted into the air, water and soil is representing today a growing concern that is gaining more attention around the world.
In 2012, the World Health Organization (WHO) published a comprehensive report on the risk assessment of pharmaceuticals in the drinking-water, which contains recommendations to prevent and reduce the leakage of chemical compounds in the water-cycle. On the 25th November 2020, the European Commission published a Pharmaceutical Strategy that analyses the whole life-cycle of pharmaceuticals from scientific discovery to manufacturing and commercialization. One of the main objectives of the strategy aims to guarantee that innovation and emerging science and technology cater to the therapeutic needs of patients while reducing the environmental footprint. This initiative is tightly connected to the new Industrial Strategy for Europe and the priorities outlined in the European Green Deal, Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan, and the European Digital Strategy.
In this event, organized by the FEAM European Biomedical Policy Forum, a discussion with expert policymakers, academics, industry and civil society representatives will allow for the opportunity to exchange opinions, emphasize and raise awareness on this emerging concern, providing practical recommendations on how to better manage and reduce the waste of drugs in the environment.
We hope you will join in the discussion and provide your view on the issue of Pharmaceuticals in the Environment. The FEAM European Biomedical Policy Forum, the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe (FVE) and the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA) are very grateful for your participation.
Programme
Moderator: Jean-Christophe Giard, French Academy of Pharmacy, FEAM expert lead
Welcoming and Introduction (5 min)
Panel 1: Broader policy perspectives of Pharmaceuticals in the environment
Panel 2: Stakeholder perspectives and cross-sectoral Panel Discussion
Q&A
Closing remarks (5min)
