Alliance Healthcare, the UK's largest pharmaceutical wholesaler, has pledged to support the global efforts to cut carbon emissions, as set out at the recent UN Climate Change Conference, COP26.
The company's pledge is in line with its aim to create "healthier futures and thebusiness", on which it has been working on for years.
It aims to become the most sustainable independent full-line pharmaceutical wholesaler in the UK by 2030, ensuring to remain the sustainable partner of choice for its customers and manufacturers.
Grundon Waste Management has introduced what it claims to be the UK's first verified nationwide inhaler return and recycling initiative. NHS Trusts and
community pharmacies participating in the new scheme will have specialised recycling containers for inhalers installed to simplify public participation, Grundon
said in a statement.
Inhalers alone contribute to 4 per cent of NHS CO2 emissions, with around 73 million dispensed annually. By 2026, the health service aims to achieve a 50 per cent
reduction in carbon emissions from waste management, a target that rises to 80 percent between 2028 and 2032, as outlined in the NHS Clinical Waste Strategy.
"This scheme holds the potential to revolutionise the approach of NHS Trusts towards achieving heightened carbon savings and ultimately, net zero emissions," said
Chris Edwards, Grundon's General Manager - Technical. "Each discarded pressurised Metered Dose Inhaler (pMDI) contains highly polluting hydrofluorocarbon (HFC)
gases - a category of greenhouse gas known to be over a thousand times more detrimental than carbon dioxide in driving climate change."
"This initiative securely captures these gases and repurposes them for application in the refrigeration sector. By also recycling the plastic and aluminium
components of the device, we are making a noteworthy contribution to the circular economy," he added.
Once collected, these will undergo processing at Grundon's specialist recycling facility in Ewelme, Oxfordshire, which is capable of handling more than 200,000
inhalers a day. The company aims to recycle 80 per cent of all prescribed inhalers by 2025, the statement added.
Representatives for prescribers across Scotland, politicians, academics and clinicians gathered to discuss the importance of environmental sustainability
in healthcare during a Scottish Parliamentary reception held at Holyrood on Wednesday (13 December).
Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) informed the parliament that medicines account for around 25 per cent of carbon emissions across the NHS, while highlighting
the various innovative ways to reduce these carbon emissions.
The NHS in Scotland needs to implement effective environmentally sustainable approaches to healthcare in order to meet its ambition to achieve net zero, RPS
pointed out.
Laura Wilson, Director for Scotland at RPS, said: "It was fantastic to bring together pharmacists, parliamentarians and partners from across government and
healthcare to highlight the huge opportunity which exists in healthcare to make our systems and processes more environmentally sustainable.
Several pharmacies have joined the inhaler recycling scheme in Wolverhampton, West Midlands, to support NHS England's Greener NHS programme, which aims
to achieve net zero emissions by 2040.
It is part of a collaborative working initiative between the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust and AstraZeneca UK Ltd, supported by the Black Country Integrated Care
Board and Wolverhampton City Local Pharmaceutical Committee.
Under this scheme, old and used inhalers are recycled and transformed into new products, such as coat hangers and waste bins.
Simon Evans, group chief strategy officer for The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, emphasised the importance of prioritising the reduction of carbon footprint while
maintaining high-quality care, to protect the planet for future generations.
"The Trust has already made significant achievements in several areas including the physical estate, clinical services, waste recycling, catering and
medicines - with this inhaler recycling scheme from pharmacy being the latest string to our bow," he said.
NHS England has commissioned the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) to develop guidance that helps community and hospital pharmacy teams across Britain to
reduce the impact of pharmacy services, pharmaceutical care and medicines on the environment.
The RPS said the Greener Pharmacy Guidance will enable pharmacies to self-assess their impact against the standards, benchmark and improve through evidence-based
activities and actions.
"I'm delighted our strong commitment to helping pharmacy reduce its environmental impact can now be taken to the next level through developing guidance and
accreditation for pharmacy teams," RPS president Professor Claire Anderson said.
"Medicines account for 25 per cent of carbon emissions within the NHS and this initiative underscores our commitment to promoting sustainable healthcare and
supporting the NHS's goal of achieving 'net zero' emissions by 2040."
Peter Morgan, medicines assistant director at NHS England, commented: "Pharmacy staff are involved in the purchasing and dispensing of almost every medicine used
in the NHS and the new Greener Pharmacy Guidance and Self-accreditation scheme will provide support for pharmacy professionals by outlining clear actions to deliver
more environmentally sustainable pharmacy practices."
The RPS said the guidance and digital self-assessment toolkit will integrate with carbon calculator tools to help pharmacy teams to measure their carbon footprint,
action plan to reduce use of carbon and improve sustainability.