Details of the new Pharmaceuticals in the Environment (PiE) cross-government group working to reduce the impacts of pharmaceuticals in the environment
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:
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.