Tauber J, et al. - Researchers conducted this descriptive qualitative study to examine the financial and environmental costs of unused pharmaceutical products after phacoemulsification surgery. This investigation involved four surgical sites in the northeastern United States (a private ambulatory care center, private tertiary care center, private outpatient center, and federally run medical center for veterans). Among the four centers, a total of 116 unique drugs were surveyed. Data reported that annual unused product cost estimates reached nearly $195,200 per site. The potential monthly environmental effect would reach 2498 kg of carbon dioxide equivalents, 10 μm of fine particulate matter or less in 4.5 kg equivalents in diameter, and 0.42 kg of nitrogen equivalents. This study suggests that unused pharmaceutical products result in relatively high financial and environmental costs during phacoemulsification. If these results can be substantiated and demonstrated to be generalizable in the US or elsewhere, it may be valuable to reduce these expenses.