Pharmaceuticals discarded in the environment pose a risk to fish and other wildlife, for example by affecting their ability to reproduce, by altering their behaviour in ways jeopardising their survival, or through direct toxic effects. Increased awareness has prompted further investigation, as well as calls and proposals for action to reduce emissions to the environment, in particular to water but also to soil.

Incorrectly disposed medicines may also contribute to the serious problem of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

In this podcast we talk to Dan Caldwell, PhD, Toxicology Fellow, Johnson & Johnson and Steve Brooks, Advisor to the AMR Industry Alliance about what progress the industry is making in terms of addressing the multifaceted challenges that the release of pharmaceuticals poses to the environment, looking at all key points within the pharmaceutical lifecycle.