Abstract

Pratik Pandit74526, Rishikesh Misal74527, Gaurav Pawar74528 and Somnath Davkar74529*

Pharmaceutical waste can result from many activities and locations in a healthcare facility. A compounding pharmacy on site generates drug waste. Anywhere if medicines are employed the site can have spills, half- used bottles, Intravenous (IV) equipment with residual medicine on it. Waste drugs or pharmaceuticals require special treatment and their management seems to be a challenge. Small quantities at households can often be thrown away in the municipal waste stream (perhaps with some method of denaturing or making the drugs undesirable to interlopers). Large quantities kept at pharmacies, distribution centers, hospitals, etc., must be managed to minimize the risk of release or to exposure to workers and the public. This category of waste includes expired, unused and contaminated pharmaceutical products including vaccines and biological products used for therapy. Prescription and over-the-counter drugs end up as pharmaceutical waste as belongings used in pharmacies like gloves, masks, bottles, etc. In the past, medical waste was routinely disposed by flushing it down the drain. At that time, society was unaware of the potential harm these drugs could cause to the environment. Now, biologists have discovered traces of pharmaceuticals remaining in fish and aquatic ecosystems, highlighting the negative consequences of improper drug disposal. As responsible citizens and waste managers, it is crucial to prioritize the principle of prevention. While pharmaceutical wastes can be hazardous under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), in many instances, managing pharmaceutical waste is a vital aspect of healthcare and environmental preservation. In a world where medical breakthroughs have resulted in a multitude of pharmaceuticals, appropriate handling and disposal of these substances have become increasingly important.