Lower-dose prescribing: Minimizing “side effects” of pharmaceuticals on society and the environment

► Sustainable medication prescribing treats patient and environment as integral whole. ► Medication dose can often be reduced while still achieving therapeutic targets. ► Reduced dose translates into lower environmental loadings of excreted drug residues. ► Reduced dose can help prevent adverse side effects, drug diversion, and poisonings. ► Reduced dose can lessen cost of health care and reduce need for waste treatment.