NEW STUDY. For over a decade, researchers have reported on very high emissions from medication coming out of drug factories around the world. But the link between which factories manufacture the substances in which medications is often a secret. Now researchers from the University of Gothenburg have gained a unique insight into the production chains.
In a new study, the Gothenburg researchers have been able to show where the active substances in medication sold in Sweden comes from. Substances in ‘original’ medication is more often produced in countries with generally better environmental regulations and adherence to those regulations, while the opposite is true for generic copies.
“The Swedish state saves a lot of money by the pharmacy replacing the medication prescribed to a patient with the cheapest copy,” explains professor Joakim Larsson, Director of the Center for Antibiotic Resistance Research at the University of Gothenburg (www.care.gu.se) and one of the co-authors of the study.
In all likelihood there are good and bad examples among both the generic manufacturers and those making the original medications. But through the fact that our subsidization system only focusing on the absolute lowest price, and disregards if production results in very high emissions, researchers believe that the Swedish state is partly taking over responsibility!
“Stopping generic replacements is not a reasonable step to take, and neither does it solve the problem,” says Dr Johan Bengtsson-Palme, one of the researchers behind the study. The problem is that in today’s system, which only rewards lowest price, there is no incentive for the companies to invest in solutions which reduce emissions. There are proposals for how to weigh in on both price and environmental aspects, which would be easier, he believes.
Key work on various fronts
The researcher team emphasizes that no-one knows which solution will be the most effective, so the work should be done across multiple fronts. There is no boundary value for the emission of medication from manufacture, but for us to impact legislation in, for example, China and India where production is often based, this will entail major challenges. For Swedish consumers, hospitals and pharmacies to be able to make environmentally-aware choices, it is essential to have a precise increased awareness throughout the entire production chain. More insight would also motivate companies to strive for better emission controls. Improved criteria for the treatment of medications by county councils and voluntary commitment from the industry are also parts of the solution.
The emission of high levels of medications can impact the environment in different ways. But with antibiotics, the risk is global, as antibiotics in the environment create the perfect breeding grounds for antibiotic-resistant bacteria that can then spread.
“This is why the need for action is particularly important for antibiotics specifically,” says Joakim Larsson.
TEXT: ANNA VON PORAT
