A new £1.19 million project aiming to reduce the environmental impact of discarded medicines is set to launch with a national pilot in Scotland.
The initiative, known as PhRESHWater (Pharmaceuticals Reduction in the Environment through Sustainable Healthcare), will bring together experts from healthcare, environmental science and the water sector to tackle the growing issue of pharmaceutical pollution in waterways.
Led through a collaboration involving the School of Pharmacy at the University of Nottingham, the University of the Highlands and Islands, The James Hutton Institute, NHS Highland and Heriot-Watt University, the project will apply what organisers describe as a “systems-based One Health approach”, recognising the close relationship between human, animal and environmental health.
The project team says pharmaceutical pollution in rivers, lochs and coastal waters has become an internationally recognised environmental and public health concern. Pollution can occur throughout the entire lifecycle of medicines, from production and prescribing through to patient use, disposal and wastewater treatment.
Researchers highlighted that following administration, up to 90% of some medicines may be excreted unchanged and enter wastewater systems that are not designed to fully remove pharmaceutical compounds. Additional pollution can occur when unused or expired medicines are incorrectly disposed of down toilets or sinks rather than returned to pharmacies for safe disposal.
Substances including antibiotics, antidepressants and anti-inflammatory medicines have already been detected in Scottish waters, raising concerns around environmental harm and the spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
The project aims to develop practical solutions across multiple stages of the pharmaceutical lifecycle, while generating new evidence, tools and resources to support coordinated action on pharmaceutical pollution.
Dr Naoko Arakawa from the University of Nottingham said: “Considering the complicated issues around eco-toxicity and pharmaceutical pollution, it is great to build on our previous project, and strengthen our multidisciplinary collaboration.”
The team hopes the initiative will help safeguard environmental and human health while supporting sustainability goals across healthcare and water sectors.
