Pharmaceutical waste is a big, expensive problem. Americans dispose of an estimated $1 billion worth of unused medications annually. Doing so wastes precious health resources, and pollutes the environment too. A study in 2008 found the presence of pharmaceuticals in the water supply of 24 major municipalities nationwide. As legislators push for stronger regulation including extended product responsibility for drug makers, the truth is that Big Pharma is big business that depends on throughput for profits. If you don’t believe me, count the number of drug commercials you see in a 15-minute daytime television viewing. Global pharmaceutical sales were forecasted at $825 billion last year. Pharmaceutical waste is viewed as an unfortunate bi-product of a profitable, innovative, and necessary industry. But while some see an unfortunate bi-product, others see an untapped resource.
Pharmaceutical waste is a big, expensive problem. Americans dispose of an estimated $1 billion worth of unused medications annually. Doing so wastes precious health resources, and pollutes the environment too. A study in 2008 found the presence of pharmaceuticals in the water supply of 24 major municipalities nationwide. As legislators push for stronger regulation including extended product responsibility for drug makers, the truth is that Big Pharma is big business that depends on throughput for profits. If you don’t believe me, count the number of drug commercials you see in a 15-minute daytime television viewing. Global pharmaceutical sales were forecasted at $825 billion last year. Pharmaceutical waste is viewed as an unfortunate bi-product of a profitable, innovative, and necessary industry. But while some see an unfortunate bi-product, others see an untapped resource.
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Read a news article about pharma-waste and you’ll likely read about looming regulation, environmental contamination, and the fight over who should foot the bill for cleanup. But when Americans throw away $1Billion worth of meds annually, let us note that there is a billion dollars in the garbage can. Knowing that pharmaceuticals now lace our water supply, does anyone else taste the slightest hint of money with each refreshing drink? As American health care expenditures continue to grow, who will plug this huge leak in the system?
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