The Department of Pharmacy at the University of Huddersfield is working to include environmental sustainability principles into the pharmacy degree curriculum
to support the cause.
It has also urged other pharmacy educators to follow suit after the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) issued a declaration of climate and ecological emergency, last month.
Playing a key role in 'greening' the University's MPharm curriculum, Dr Alison Astles, subject leader in pharmacy and member of the University's Pharmaceutical Policy
and Practice Research Centre said: "Mitigating climate impact will need everyone to deliver change, and our future pharmacists have to be prepared to lead that change as part of their duty to the patient."
As the new school year approaches parents won't just be in a flurry of buying new pencil cases and the next size up in shoes but also will be looking to
stock their cupboard for their health needs for the next year.
Along with the Supermarket's Back-to-School sales there is also the opportunity to help parents with a clever display of the top needed cupboard accessories with
some smart recommendations to help with choices.
Looking at the UK retail market it is also worth considering that we are seeing a push for sustainability in products with those touting green credentials starting
to stand out from the competitors but with a backdrop of rising prices making price perhaps more important than ever.
Cuts and scrapes
One to definitely think about in the children's health range for back to school is plasters and wound cleaning preparations for those inevitable playground grazed
knees, cuts and scrapes.
With a focus on sustainability and some strong green credentials Elastoplast Green and Protect should be considered for any back to school health display with
eco-friendly construction and a climate neutral product but there is also Patch Kids Bamboo Sensitive Plasters which boast being home compostable.
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has welcomed the appointment of Michael Matheson MSP as Cabinet Secretary for NHS Recovery, Health and Social Care in
Scotland.
Commenting on the announcement Laura Wilson, Director of RPS Scotland, said: "I would like to congratulate Michael Matheson on being appointed to this position.
NHS recovery is vitally important, and pharmacy has a huge amount to offer this agenda.
"Our current priorities include enabling pharmacists to take leadership of prescribing in all care settings, tackling health inequalities and advocating for change,
implementing shared patient records between healthcare professionals to provide high-quality, person centred and safe patient care, improving pharmacists' wellbeing
and tackling the climate emergency by encouraging sustainable and green prescribing across Scotland.
Members of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) highlighted the work of pharmacists in making medicines use and the whole NHS more environmentally
sustainable at the Welsh Senedd this week.
Politicians present were informed that around 25 per cent of the NHS' carbon emissions result from medicines use, and therefore pharmacists' expert skills are
crucial for reducing these emissions.
RPS Wales Director, Elen Jones, was among the RPS staff who attended the event, which was co-hosted with the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry.
Commenting on the event, Elen said: "It was great to get so many productive conversations with the politicians to highlight the great work pharmacists are already
doing in the sustainability field and to explain what further steps are required to reduce the negative environmental and ecological impact of medicines."