| CODE | NUR4427 | ||||||||
| TITLE | Water EDUCare: Pharmaceutical Pollution Awareness for Healthcare Professionals | ||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 04 - Years 4, 5 in Modular UG or PG Cert Course | ||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 6 | ||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 | ||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Nursing | ||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit introduces healthcare professionals to the environmental dimensions of pharmaceutical pollution, with particular emphasis on antibiotic residues in wastewater from healthcare settings. Grounded in a One Health and planetary health perspective, the unit explores how pharmaceuticals enter aquatic ecosystems and examines their impacts on human health, biodiversity, and antimicrobial resistance (AMR), as well as the limitations of current wastewater treatment systems. Learners will be introduced to contamination pathways, hospital-level drivers, and emerging risks, including microplastics, Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS), climate-related pressures, and evolving EU regulatory frameworks, drawing on international case studies and contemporary scientific literature. The study-unit places strong emphasis on developing practical competencies for mitigation within healthcare facilities, such as responsible prescribing, effective waste segregation, sustainable procurement, and the development of facility-level action plans. Through interactive learning, critical analysis, and applied exercises informed by current evidence, participants will acquire the knowledge and skills needed to reduce pharmaceutical pollution at its source, strengthen antimicrobial stewardship, and contribute to environmentally responsible healthcare practice. Study-Unit Aims: - Develop learners' understanding of pharmaceutical pollution, particularly antibiotic residues, and its pathways from healthcare settings into aquatic environments. - Explain the ecological, human health, and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) risks associated with pharmaceutical contaminants through a One Health and planetary health lens. - Describe the drivers, hotspots, and system-level gaps (e.g., wastewater treatment limitations) that allow pharmaceutical pollution to persist in both healthcare and community contexts. - Discuss international case studies, regulatory frameworks, and emerging environmental threats (e.g., PFAS, microplastics, climate pressures) and evaluate their implications for healthcare practice. - Equip healthcare professionals to apply evidence-based strategies to reduce pharmaceutical emissions, including improved prescribing, waste segregation, sustainable procurement, and facility-level monitoring. - Enable participants to design practical, context-appropriate action plans to minimise pharmaceutical pollution within their healthcare setting and strengthen antimicrobial stewardship. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Define pharmaceutical pollution and describe its major sources and pathways, with a focus on how residues from healthcare settings enter aquatic environments. - Explain the ecological, human health, and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) risks associated with pharmaceutical residues, including antibiotics, contrast agents, cytostatics, PFAS, and microplastics. - Discuss the One Health and planetary health frameworks in relation to water contamination and the environmental drivers of AMR. - Identify the limitations of current wastewater treatment systems and outline how healthcare facilities contribute to pollution hotspots. - Summarise key EU and international policy instruments relevant to pharmaceutical pollution, wastewater management, and environmental health. - Compare and contrast case studies of hospital wastewater treatment and source-reduction initiatives across different healthcare systems. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: Applied Knowledge and Practical Skills - Compare environmental monitoring data, facility practices, and case examples to identify potential pharmaceutical pollution risks within healthcare settings. - Recognise the effectiveness of mitigation strategies, including responsible prescribing, waste segregation, sustainable procurement, and point-source interventions. - Apply evidence-based approaches to reduce pharmaceutical emissions in clinical or managerial practice. - Design a feasible, context-specific action plan to minimise pharmaceutical pollution in the student’s workplace or clinical placement. Cognitive and Analytical Skills - Appraise scientific and policy evidence on pharmaceutical pollution, AMR drivers, and environmental health risks. - Describe complex environmental concepts and evaluate their relevance to antimicrobial stewardship and sustainability initiatives. Communication and Transferable Skills - Communicate environmental risk information clearly to colleagues, managers, and patients using accurate and accessible language. - Advocate for sustainable healthcare practices using reasoned, evidence-informed arguments. - Reflect on personal and professional responsibilities in reducing environmental impacts and organise greener healthcare behaviours. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: View reading list |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lectures and Online Lectures | ||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Ermira Tartari (Co-ord.) |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2025/6. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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