Tracking pharmaceuticals in waterways inadequate

Jeff Donn, Martha Mendoza and Justin Pritchard of The Associated Press report that, "U.S. manufacturers, including major drugmakers, have legally released at least 271 million pounds of pharmaceuticals into waterways that often provide drinking water — contamination the federal government has consistently overlooked." The scant tracking by the federal government of pharmaceuticals released into waterways is inconsistent as many pharmaceutical ingredients are also used in the manufacturing of non-drug products. The AP investigation, "identified 22 compounds that show up on two lists: the EPA monitors them as industrial chemicals that are released into rivers, lakes and other bodies of water under federal pollution laws, while the Food and Drug Administration classifies them as active pharmaceutical ingredients."