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SUSTAINABLE PHARMACY 5.0: MEASUREMENT AND REDUCTION OF THE CARBON FOOTPRINT IN THE COMPOUNDING PHARMACY OF A HIGH COMPLEXITY PHARMACEUTICAL SERVICE. ONE MORE STEP TOWARDS DECARBONIZATION

European Statement

Production and Compounding

Author(s)

Viviana Montoya, Camilo Fuertes, Viana Berdugo, Mercedes Meneses, Monica Castaño.

Why was it done?

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with the health sector represent approximately 4.4% of global net emissions, equivalent to two billion tons of carbon dioxide. It is estimated that the processes carried out in the compounding pharmacy contribute greatly to greenhouse gas emissions and high costs associated with their execution.

What was done?

1.Establish the activities and consumables with the greatest impact on the carbon footprint from the compounding pharmacy processes.
2.Carry out a comparison between the consumables with the highest greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions versus a more SUSTAINABLE alternative.
3.Determine the reduction of the environmental and economic impact achieved through the implementation of SUSTAINABLE strategies.

How was it done?

The activities and consumables with the greatest environmental impact were characterized and sustainable strategies focused on reducing and optimizing these resources were proposed. The necessary information was collected to calculate the carbon footprint of each consumable (annual consumption, weight, emission factors) and the costs from its acquisition to final disposal to evaluate the total carbon footprint avoided and the economic savings achieved.

What has been achieved?

The implementation of SUSTAINABLE strategies in the pharmaceutical service compounding pharmacy showed a considerable decrease in the carbon footprint, in addition to significant economic savings. It is estimated for the year 2024 to reduce the carbon footprint by a total of 161.133 Kg CO2eq and achieve economic savings of 906.324.240 COP (214.212 US dollars), which is equivalent to 663,225.15 Km and represents 24 round trips from Cali, Colombia to Dubai, United Arab Emirates and 16,5 trips around the world.

What next?

It was possible to establish a baseline to evaluate the environmental impact that the compounding pharmacy currently has and with this, continue searching for strategies that allow achieving a totally sustainable compounding pharmacy. In addition, the results allowed us to raise awareness about the importance of small actions in an objective as large as the decarbonization of the health sector.

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