Application of Life Cycle Assessment in the pharmaceutical industry: A critical review

The pharmaceutical industry presents unique challenges and opportunities for mitigating global environmental impacts. This paper reviewed studies utilizing Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to quantify and analyze how the pharmaceutical sector affects the environment, from active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) to drug formulation, packaging and transportation, and end-of-life disposal. The reviewed LCA literature indicated that the leading contributors to this industry’s environmental impacts were energy consumption, particularly electricity use, and chemical application. However, the toxicity impacts should demand equal attention given the potentially severe effects of certain active compounds on human health and ecological systems. We also identified process optimization opportunities, such as transitioning from batch to continuous manufacturing platforms, adopting green chemistry principles, and implementing process intensification techniques. The review further suggested gaps in current research, such as drug recycling, biopharmaceuticals, supply chain strategies, etc. Moreover, we pointed out the current limitations in LCA studies, such as limited system boundaries, unclear data presentation, databases for biopharmaceuticals, etc. Emphasizing the critical need for sustainable development, we stressed the importance of an urgent transition toward cleaner energy sources. We also advocated for using more eco-friendly chemicals across the pharmaceutical life cycle to realize cleaner production in the pharmaceutical industry.