The recently formed Pharmaceuticals in the Environment (PiE) Group is a UK cross-government platform to enable discussion and knowledge exchange relating to pharmaceuticals in the environment from human, veterinary and, where there is cross over, agricultural and non-agricultural sources.
We anticipate that membership will grow to include more organisations from across the UK government and devolved administrations. Currently, membership includes:
- Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD)
- Environment Agency (EA)
- Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
- Veterinary Products Committee (VPC)
- Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)
- Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)
At our first meeting, held in April 2023, we agreed our purpose - to develop a co-ordinated strategy to reduce the impacts of pharmaceuticals on the environment (biodiversity) and human health.
We also identified our first priority area, which is to gain a better understanding of the potential sources of fipronil and imidacloprid levels detected in UK surface waters and to work towards reducing these levels.
