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Three leading healthcare bodies in Scotland have called for action to reduce the environmental impact caused by medicine prescribing. The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges and Faculties in Scotland, Royal Pharmaceutical Society and the Royal College of General Practitioners Scotland have all urged policymakers to enable a more sustainable approach to prescribing. This includes prioritising the introduction of electronic prescribing across the NHS, introducing the requirement for an environmental impact in NHS medicines procurement and improving the availability of data about the environmental impact of medicines. "We call on Scottish government, including the chief medical officer, to enable the delivery of a realistic medicine approach to prescribing by developing a supportive infrastructure for green social prescribing across Scotland," said the healthcare professionals in a joint statement. They have called on the pharmaceutical industry to make information about the environmental impact of medicines readily available in a standardised data format.

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."

According to the National Health Services (NHS)'s new mandate, pharmaceutical companies seeking to participatign its Antimicrobial Product subscription model must certify to the BSI Kitemark for minimised risk of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) This move is part of the NHS's strategy to tackle the growing global threat of AMR by ensuring that antibiotic manufacturers adhere to stringent environmental controls. The NHS antibiotic subscription model is the first of its kind globally, offering pharmaceutical companies a fixed annual fee based on the value and availability of their antimicrobials to the NHS, rather than the quantity consumed. The innovative approach aims to stimulate the development of new antibiotics while addressing the environmental impact of their production. The NHS antibiotic subscription model is a ground-breaking incentive program as the first in the world to pay companies a fixed annual fee for antimicrobials based on the value of the drugs to the NHS, and their availability, instead of the volumes used.