Legal framework and standards of good pharmacy practice in pharmaceutical waste management

Recognizing the importance of proper pharmaceutical waste management is of utmost significance from several different perspectives. Pharmaceutical waste may pose a potential problem for all types of healthcare institutions. It is not limited to expired medicines, but also includes various types of packaging containing traces of toxic substances, protective equipment, instruments used in the administration or preparation of medicines, as well as veterinary medicinal products. Naturally, different types of pharmaceutical waste carry different types of risks. It can be said that many chemical substances primarily used in healthcare may become a risk to human health and may adversely affect the environment if handled improperly. Following the conceptual definition of medical and pharmaceutical waste and an overview of their characteristics, the paper analyzes the legal framework governing the treatment of pharmaceutical waste in Serbia and also provides an overview of the standards of good pharmacy practice in pharmaceutical waste management.