MALAYSIA is highly dependent on its water sources, with 99 per cent of the

water supply for domestic use derived from surface water such as streams and rivers.

Research by The World Economic Forum has shown that the concentration of pharmaceuticals in waterways is reaching dangerous levels, and is detrimental to human health and the world’s ability to deliver on the UN Sustainable Development Goal to provide clean drinking water and sanitation for all by 2030.

In conjunction with its Safe Medication Disposal programme, Alpro Pharmacy hosted an industry roundtable recently on the topic of “Safe Medication Disposal Practices in Malaysia – Past, Present and Future”.

Malaysian Community Pharmacy Guild president, Foon Hwei Foong says 15 years ago, prior to proper disposal systems and awareness of the serious implications caused by drugs, crushing medication and flushing it down the toilet were considered normal disposal behaviour among patients and consumers.

Foon adds that unwanted medication disposed of in landfills is also reabsorbed by water streams and eventually leads back to the water we drink.

“Imagine if it were psychotropic drugs which end up in our water systems?”

Monash University Malaysia school of pharmacy lecturer, Dr Saw Pui San, says adds that this includes contraceptives which have been irresponsibly discarded causing sterilisation of fish in the ecosystem.

She explains that antibiotics (which are strictly regulated prescription medicines) are also leaked into water systems, adding to the problem of antibiotic resistance in the population.