Panel Discussion

An exploration of the issues associated with the presence of pharmaceuticals in water was undertaken by the Research Triangle Environmental Health Collaborative, which organized an Environmental Health Summit held November 10-11, 2008 entitled “Pharmaceuticals in Water - What We Know, What We Don’t Know and What We Should Do about It.” More than 150 invited participants and experts from governmental organizations and institutions, academia, industry, water utilities, and public interest groups attended the sessions. The attendees participated actively in discussions and identified innovative solution-oriented recommendations for ultimately reducing any potential risks by targeting research needs, education, communication, prevention/intervention programs, and other public health solutions/actions. The summit provided an interdisciplinary forum that considered a multipronged approach to a potential public health challenge. It demonstrated the benefit of collective voices from those who would normally work in disconnected fields. More such interactions between scientists, public advocacy groups, representatives from relevant industries, the healthcare community, other stakeholders, and policy makers will help to more clearly define the challenges faced by emerging issues and provide each sector with a better understanding on how best to assimilate and disseminate their knowledge collectively.

Session Objectives: 1. Describe Collaborative efforts to address Pharmaceuticals in Water and define public health issues and challenges 2. Identify education, communication and social marketing needs and challenges 3. Identify research gaps to better understand the potential public health effects and possible need for prevention/intervention programs