Workshops

Pharmaceutical Advisory Group – Special Workshop

Weighing up the environmental costs of pharmaceutical use against the benefits to human and animal health and costs of risk management

Sunday 11th May 2014, 13:00 - 17:00, Room Boston 1

Human and veterinary pharmaceuticals are essential in ensuring the health of human and animal populations. However, following use, these substances are released to the natural environment and there is concern that some of these compounds may be causing harm to aquatic and terrestrial systems. The presence of pharmaceuticals may also result in costs for society, e.g. through increased treatment costs for drinking water or reduced ecosystem services. To mitigate any adverse effects, a number of options exist for managing pharmaceutical emissions to the environment, including preventing the use of some substances or the introduction of treatment methodologies. Each management option is likely to result in either monetary, societal costs (e.g. prevention of use of a drug) or other environmental costs (e.g. increased energy use required for treatment of wastewater). It is important, therefore, that these costs are considered in any decision making process around the management of the environmental risks of a pharmaceutical. However, to do this a holistic approach will be needed that brings in expertise in environmental risk science and environmental and health economics. This half day symposium, organised by the PAG, will therefore consider how the costs and benefits around pharmaceutical use and environmental risk management can be weighed up. It will act as a platform to get the Pharmaceutical in the Environment research community engaged with those involved in environmental and health economics and will consider how the PAG can contribute to the development of improved approaches for making informed decisions around the management of pharmaceuticals in the natural environment. The symposium will include short presentations from experts from the: pharmaceutical industry, academia, environmental and health policy sectors, regulatory bodies as well as farming and water industries to get their perspective on the issue. An additional presentation will draw on experience from other areas to discuss approaches that can be used to support decision making. Time will be included for questions and for general discussion by the Symposium attendees.

When and where: Sunday 11th May 2014, 13:00 - 17:00, Room Boston 1, Congress Centre, Basel

Agenda:

13:00	Welcome and Introduction Alistair Boxall/Andreas Hartmann
13:15	The value of innovative drugs and the cost of environmental impact – mixing horses and rabbits? Bengt Jönsson (Stockholm School of Economics, Sweden)
13:45	Pharmaceuticals and Environmental Regulation - Future challenges and demands Gerd Maack (UBA, Germany)
14:15	When your only tool is a hammer every problem looks like a nail - Demonising Pharmaceuticals is an inappropriate therapy resulting from a flawed diagnosis. David Taylor (WCA Environment, UK)
14:45	Coffee/Tea in The Foyer (second floor of the conference center)
15:15	Pharmaceuticals and the UK Water Industry: a wastewater perspective. Ruth Barden (Wessex Water, UK)
15:45	Evidence-based policy making while the evidence is patchy: pharmaceuticals in the aquatic environment. Caroline Whalley (Defra, UK)
16:15	General discussion (Chaired by Mike Williams)

If you have any questions, please get in touch with Alistair Boxall (alistair.boxall@york.ac.uk), Mike Williams (Mike.Williams@csiro.au), Thomas Backhaus (thomas.backhaus@bioenv.gu.se) and Andreas Hartmann (andreas-2.hartmann@novartis.com).

Registration

Registration fee: 30 euro. Please note you don't need to be registered for the conference to participate in this workshop.

How to register:

You can register for this workshop + the meeting (go to the registration page and complete the online registration).
You can register for this workshop only (go to the registration page and register online by indicating 'One day, Sunday short course/workshop only', then indicate the workshop again).
You are already registered for the meeting and you would like to add this workshop to your registration? No problem, simply go to the SETAC Europe store and add the item 'One day, Sunday short course/workshop only', then indicate the workshop again.

View Presentations of the Workshop:

The value of innovative drugs and the cost of environmental impact – mixing horses and rabbits?
Bengt Jönsson (Stockholm School of Economics, Sweden)

Pharmaceuticals and Environmental Regulation - Future challenges and demands
Gerd Maack (UBA, Germany)

When your only tool is a hammer every problem looks like a nail - Demonising Pharmaceuticals is an inappropriate therapy resulting from a flawed diagnosis.
David Taylor (WCA Environment, UK)

Pharmaceuticals and the UK Water Industry: a wastewater perspective.
Ruth Barden (Wessex Water, UK)

Evidence-based policy making while the evidence is patchy: pharmaceuticals in the aquatic environment.
Caroline Whalley (Defra, UK)

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