1Professor & Head, Department of Pharmacy Practice, Santhiram College of Pharmacy, NH-40, Nandyal-518501, Andhra Pradesh, India. Email: reugandar@gmail.com
2Professor & Head, Department of Dermatology and Trichology, Santhiram Medical College and General Hospital, NH-40, Nandyal-518501, Andhra Pradesh, India.
3*Research Scholar, Department of Pharmacy Practice, Santhiram College of Pharmacy, Nandyal-518501, Andhra Pradesh, India.
4Research Scholar, Department of Pharmacy Practice, Santhiram College of Pharmacy, Nandyal-518501, Andhra Pradesh, India.
5Research Scholar, Department of Pharmacy Practice, Santhiram College of Pharmacy, Nandyal-518501, Andhra Pradesh, India.
6Research Scholar, Department of Pharmacy Practice, Santhiram College of Pharmacy, Nandyal-518501, Andhra Pradesh, India.
Corresponding Author: Butha Nandini. Mail ID: reugandar@gmail.com
Background: Hospital pharmacotherapy generates residual active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) that may enter air, water, and soil. We implemented a six-month, ten-department Ecopharmacovigilance (EPV) program at a tertiary hospital in Nandyal, India, combining waste-segregation, staff education, green-pharmacy practices, take-back, advanced treatment, and internal reporting.
Methods: Baseline audits, environmental sampling (air, water, soil), and staff knowledge surveys were repeated post-intervention.
Results: Segregation compliance increased from 41.2% to 83.3% (p < 0.001). Mean staff knowledge scores improved from 56.1% to 86.0% (p < 0.001). Median wastewater concentrations declined for Ciprofloxacin (210 to 74 ng/L), Diclofenac (180 to 90 ng/L), Metformin (2.9 to 1.5 µg/L), and Carbamazepine (120 to 95 ng/L). A take-back program collected 11.84 kg of unused medicines. Persistent APIs (e.g., Carbamazepine) remained detectable, underscoring the need for advanced treatment and continuous monitoring.
Conclusion: Findings support EPV as a practical hospital stewardship tool with environmental co-benefits.
KEYWORDS: Eco-pharmacovigilance; hospital wastewater; pharmaceutical residues; waste segregation; take-back.
How to cite this article: Ugandar RE, Latha M, Nandini B, Nandini D, Nikhil T, Teja SV. Ecopharmacovigilance in A Hospital Setting: A Ten-Department Intervention to Enhance Pharmaceutical Waste Management and Environmental Sustainability. Int J Drug Deliv Technol. 2026;16(13s): 153-157. DOI: 10.25258/ijddt.16.13s.16
Source of support: Nil.
Conflict of interest: None