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Sustainable medicines use in clinical practice: A clinical pharmacological view on eco‐pharmaco‐stewardship
Author(s) -
Adeyeye Elizabeth,
New Benjamin Jaa Ming,
Chen Fangyue,
Kulkarni Spoorthy,
Fisk Marie,
Coleman Jamie J.
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
british journal of clinical pharmacology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.216
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1365-2125
pISSN - 0306-5251
DOI - 10.1111/bcp.15140
Subject(s) - stewardship (theology) , health care , carbon footprint , greenhouse gas , business , environmental stewardship , medicine , environmental planning , clinical practice , environmental resource management , nursing , political science , geography , environmental science , ecology , politics , law , biology
Climate change continues to pose a dangerous threat to human health. However, not only is health impacted by this crisis, healthcare itself adds to the problem, through significant contributions to greenhouse gas emissions. In the UK, the National Health Service (NHS) is responsible for an estimated 4% of the overall national carbon footprint. Medicines account for a quarter of this and whilst they are vital for health now, through sustainable use they can also positively influence the environmental health of the future. In this review, we explore how clinical pharmacologists and other health care professionals can practice sustainable medicines use or eco‐pharmaco‐stewardship. We will discuss current and near future environmental practices within the NHS, which we suspect will resonate with other health systems. We will suggest approaches for championing eco‐pharmaco‐stewardship in drug manufacturing, clinical practice and patient use, to achieve a more a sustainable healthcare system.