Greener drug design is urgently needed to address environmental pollution
Monash University researchers, including Dr Lauren May and Dr Manuela Jorg from the Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Professor Bob Wong from the School of Biological Sciences, have contributed to an international study published in Nature Sustainability. The study highlights the urgent need for greener drug design to address environmental pollution caused by pharmaceuticals.
The research emphasises the impact of pharmaceutical contamination on biodiversity, ecosystem services, and public health, and calls for strategies to minimise environmental impacts across the pharmaceutical life cycle. This includes sustainable prescribing practices, public awareness, enhanced wastewater treatment, and eco-friendly drug design.