The study has described the current regulation of pharmaceutical companies as being unable to prevent the release of chemicals into the environment throughout the manufacturing supply chain.
The University of Eastern Finland researchers analysed how good manufacturing practices (GMPs) and environmental risk assessment (ERA) address critical stages of the manufacturing supply chain with regard to environmental emissions.
The findings, published in the journal Review of European, Comparative & International Environmental Law, identified several challenges including the limited scope and weight of regulation, and a lack of competence among inspectors
“For example, ERA focuses exclusively on the risks associated with the use of the product and does not address the emissions associated with manufacturing in third countries,” said Mirella Miettinen, one of the authors and a senior researcher.
“Moreover, in the EU, it is not possible to refuse the marketing...