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2016 Spring | Business & Sustainability, Education & Outreach, Sustainability

Pharmaceutical waste- solutions via policy, education and technology

Student(s):

Julia Bucy

Program or Department(s):

  • Program on the Environment
  • University of Washington

Site supervisor(s):

Sean Schmidt

Partner(s):

  • UW Sustainability

Faculty advisor(s):

Elizabeth Umphress Associate Professor of Management, Foster School of Business at the University of Washington

I chose my internship on healthcare sustainability because I was interested in health and sustainability. My team and I identified successes and pitfalls of sustainability at UWMC and school. We discovered a gap in sustainability knowledge in the pharmacy major. I then choose my personal research topic on pharmaceutical waste. I wanted to understand the major pathways for pollution, the lack of sustainability curriculum in the major, and possible solutions. I found that technological advances in the manufacturing of drugs, education of doctors about sustainable practices, and changes in disposal policies can help to solve the issue of pharmaceutical waste.