The European Parliament has adopted a comprehensive resolution on a Strategic Approach to Pharmaceuticals in the Environment. The need for greater transparency in the production chain of medicines is one of several clear messages supported by a strong majority of the voting members.
The resolution, which was adopted with 671 votes to 15, addresses many important aspects of risk assessment and management, including needs for legislation. The parliament asks, for example, for a special focus to be put on discharge hotspots, including pharmaceutical production plants. They stress that a strong legislative framework should be established to increase transparency throughout the entire supply chain, as this would allow proper scrutiny and ensure that companies are held to account for the environmental release of pharmaceuticals. Furthermore, the parliament specifically calls on the pharmaceutical industry to provide more transparency in supply chains by disclosing the origin of drugs and active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) at raw material production stage, to ensure total traceability of all pharmaceutical products.
Professor Joakim Larsson, director of CARe comments the resolution:
“I am happy to see that many needs that we have identified and highlighted repeatedly for years, now has received strong support by the EU parliament. I am particularly glad to see that the need for transparency is stressed also by our politicians as way to put pressure on pharmaceutical companies to reduce discharges in their supply chains.”
The provisional edition of the text can be found here and the official press release here.
Link to Larsson´s publication list, including many that address industrial drug pollution and the need for transparency: https://www.gu.se/en/biomedicine/about-us/department-of-infectious-diseases/joakim-larsson-group/publications