6^th World Nursing and Healthcare Conference

Biography

Biography: Rupesh Kumar Pati

Abstract

The effect of industrializing has challenged the healthcare industry, where various new diseases like Anthrax, Bird flu, Ebola etc. Researches in these countries have found significant presence of expired drugs in Solid Waste Management (SWM). These pollute air, water and soil through incineration, seepage to river/water table and land filling. The exposure to these expired drugs (unknowingly) over a longer period negatively impact the immune system. The presence of large number of drug manufacturers (developing similar drugs under different brand) especially in developing nation (with less stricter regulations) allows flooding of drugs at retail/pharmacy. Hence, the need for effective disposal of large quantity of drugs (3-5% in India). The production of these excess drugs requires lot of water (as input) and discharging certain dangerous chemical byproducts. This leads to increased cost as-well-as pollution during production, transportation; and on expiry reverse logistics, disposal process. Hence, prices of drugs in the market are increased (as claimed by manufacturer during our focus group interaction). This increase makes the drug unaffordable to certain market segment/patients (especially in developing and under developed countries where Out of Pocket expenses are common) with poor public healthcare and insurance mechanism. All the above, challenges the basic business model of Healthcare sector on “sustainability framework” adversely affecting society, environment and economic of various stakeholders. The basic research question in this study is to provide inputs to policy formulation on: how to make the healthcare sector more sustainable: with easy accessibility of drugs at low cost (social), minimum wastages through expiry (environmental) and providing profit to the manufacturer to encourage him to invest in future needs?