Healthcare Meets the Environment: A Symposium on Pharmaceutical Waste Management (January 31, 2014)

Population growth including an aging population, preventative medicine, and improved treatment options have all contributed to an increase in the use of prescription and over-the-counter medication.  While the benefits of these drugs cannot be overstated, their use does have environmental consequences.  In preparation for the Spring 2014 release of EPA's proposed healthcare facility-specific pharmaceutical waste management standards, this one day symposium will explore:

• The prevalence of drugs in the environment including modes of entry, a comparison of Georgia's water quality to other major cities in the U.S., and the effects on human and aquatic life
• Regulatory trends including increased on-site inspections, notices of violation and enforcement actions
• New healthcare facility-specific regulations proposed by the EPA addressing the management and disposal of hazardous waste pharmaceuticals generated by healthcare facilities and the impact on industry
• Industry efforts including reverse distribution initiatives and hazardous waste management program implementation

The schedule will be posted online in the next few weeks, and registration will open in October.  Space will be limited for this event!

The Metro Growth Center thanks Troutman Sanders LLP and CVS Caremark (the platinum sponsor) for their financial support of this program.

Study Space Program in Barcelona, Spain (May 5-9, 2014)

The Metro Growth Center is excited to announce this year's study space program, Beyond Affordable Housing:  An Interdisciplinary Multinational Approach to Adequate Housing Options.  This program will take place in Barcelona, Spain May 5-9, 2014. 

Over the course of 5 days, participants will use Barcelona as a case study to explore:

• Barriers to affordable housing, such as zoning and land use laws
• Optimal siting of affordable housing, including access to infrastructure and services, and redeveloping low-profitability spaces
• Habitability and creating healthy environments
• Security of tenure
• Housing discrimination
• The right to housing
• Homelessness, including laws and policies that serve as barriers to ending it

Online registration will begin in the fall and the deadline to apply will be Feb. 7, 2014.  Space will be limited.  This program is open to scholars from all related disciplines, government and private sector professionals.  For more information, visit our webpage.