On 15 and 16 October 2026, PREWAPHARM partners gathered at Ghent University in Belgium for a two-day Consortium Meeting. The meeting provided an opportunity to review project progress, exchange expertise across the pillars and discuss how to strengthen collaboration to reduce pharmaceutical residues in water.
Discussing progress and shared challenges
The first day focused on developments across the project, including priority medicines, medicine hotspot maps, policy dialogues, communication and dissemination activities. Through interactive World Café sessions, partners exchanged perspectives on the pharmacists’ survey findings, explored opportunities for policy dialogues in their respective countries and discussed ways to strengthen collaboration across sectors.
Uniting expertise from pharmacy, healthcare, research and water technology drives the PREWAPHARM’s approach. The discussions effectively connected different perspectives focusing on how the project’s activities can contribute to practical solutions to reduce pharmaceutical pollution.
Connecting research with practice
On 16 October, Ghent University hosted site visits to UZGent University Hospital, followed by a visit to the UGent Ecotox Laboratory.
At UZGent, we learned about hospital sustainability initiatives and their connection to PREWAPHARM’s objectives. The programme then continued at the UGent laboratories at Campus Coupure, offering a closer look at ecotoxicological analysis and sample preparation.
The visits provided an opportunity to see how different areas of expertise contribute to understanding and addressing the environmental impact of pharmaceutical residues!
Moving forward together
The meeting reinforced the value of bringing together partners from across the pharmaceutical and water sectors. By sharing knowledge, discussing emerging findings and connecting research with practice, PREWAPHARM aims to develop and support feasible approaches to reducing pharmaceutical residues in water.
We thank Ghent University for hosting the meeting and all partners for their contributions, insights and continued collaboration.