The final destination of medicine residues is a relevant subject to the public health due to the pharmacological properties of each medicine, that in future will become a residue and will need to be treated. In Brazil, the correct discard of the solid medicine residues is regulated by the Ministry of Health and also by the Ministry of Environment, that aim to provide the producers of medicine residues with instruments that enable them to correctly discard those residues. However, there are some obstacles that can only be overcome through the integration of all agents involved in this process. The purpose of this article is to make a critical survey of the legal instruments offered by the regulatory institutions, locating each agent and its responsibilities concerning the protection of public health and the environment.
Residue; Medicine; Public health; Regulatory agency and environment