Inadequate last-mile pharmaceutical waste management is a neglected threat to environmental and public health: a call to action

Summary box
Last-mile pharmaceutical waste is generated at the level of the community, healthcare facilities, pharmaceutical outlets and markets, and animal husbandry.

Inappropriate elimination methods result in the presence of pharmaceutical residues in the environment, with possible—and often unreported or undetected—adverse effects on ecosystems, communities and public health.

Last-mile pharmaceutical waste management remains, at best, an afterthought in global public health, leaving many vulnerable populations exposed to preventable environmental and public health risks.

Last-mile pharmaceutical waste management constitutes a considerable health, ecological and social challenge, requiring an interdisciplinary and integrated systems approach. It is imperative to act now to build a sustainable future for global health and the environment.