Sustainability increasingly emerges as a key issue in pharmaceutical industry along the full life-cycle. Optimising raw material input, synthesis processes and site-specifi c emission controls become major tasks for sustainable corporate management. As regards the products and their use, however, sustainability in pharmacy is still in its infancy. It is a scientifi cally well-known fact that pharmaceuticals may have environmental impacts. Pharmaceutical substances are prevalently found in relevant concentrations in the aquatic environment and some even in drinking water. Adverse effects of certain active substances on the reproduction of water organisms like fi sh and snails have been documented. The decline of vulture populations in India and Pakistan also shows that some species can react particularly sensitively to specifi c pharmaceuticals. Given that the consumption of medicinal products continuously increases the precautionary principle urges us to reduce the environmental impacts of pharmaceuticals for the benefi t of future generations. At its core sustainability in pharmacy means to take care of the whole life-cycle of a medicinal product. But how can this be achieved, what is a proper societal and corporate model for Sustainable Pharmacy and who are the key players to promote and implement it?
The aim of the conference is to discuss these questions in an open and creative atmosphere. By integrating the variety of perspectives on the issue, alternatives and chances for more sustainability in the pharmaceutical sector will be identified.
