Cuba warns about antimicrobial damage to the environment

It would be of great value to pay special attention to eco-pharmacovigilance, to avoid the release of antimicrobial drugs, relevant contaminants, and resistant bacteria, the researcher said.

‘This problem is gaining in relevance, hence the importance of soil and water monitoring,’ he emphasized.

The presence of emerging contaminants is one of the points that should be prioritized in environmental sciences, and considering their appearance, it is imperative to include the rules that regulate the quality of natural resources such as water and soil, said Trimiño, who recently participated in the IV Conference on the Rational Use of Antimicrobials held in this capital.

We must consider requirements related to drug contamination and especially those related to antimicrobials, given their impact on aquatic and soil ecosystems, said Trimiño, who is researching the issue together with scientists Nancy Burguet and Idania Hurtado.

The proactive evaluation of these impacts is vital, taking into account the life cycle of the product, not only in production scenarios, but also in its use in hospitals and in the community, considering the existing shortcomings in the safe disposal of drugs, even when there are strict regulations in this regard.