Sustainable Procurement & CSR News - Pharmaceutical Industry

When Virginia Mason’s anesthesia technician Randy Johnson and staff anesthesiologist Dr. Ryan Pong learned that desflurane had a global warming potential 20 times greater than its alternative gases in 2015, they decided to work together on persuading their colleagues to reduce the use desflurane in favor of its alternatives. Through casual but persistent conversations over a five-year period, the duo ultimately convinced every member of their department that other gasses could work without harming patient care. Their success culminated in September 2019 when Virginia Mason Medical Center completely eliminated desflurane use.

healthcare resources at all levels are being directed toward fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. While this has resulted in encouraging progress, many non-coronavirus patients are finding it difficult to access care due to limited available resources, while others avoid seeking in-person medical treatment for fear of exposure to the virus.

This trend is especially concerning among patients in need of chronic care, who account for 76% of all physician visits. For those with chronic diseases, failure to access care can lead to high-acuity care episodes, a situation that is dangerous and disruptive to patients, in addition to being costly for patients, payors, and providers alike.

To avoid these negative outcomes, and to preserve specialist availability and critical health care resources, health care organizations must find ways to provide safe access to primary care for patients with chronic conditions. One potential avenue for providing this care is through the use of eConsults and other forms of telehealth for chronic care management.

The path to opioid addiction often starts with the dealer in our own homes: the medicine cabinet. But disposing of unused or expired prescription drugs by flushing them down the toilet trades one health risk for another by polluting water.

It’s time to tackle both issues with a statewide drug takeback program funded by pharmaceutical companies, members of a coalition said Thursday as they announced the Illinois Drug Take-back Act.

State Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz (17th District) introduced the measure with support from public health and safety officials as well as environmental organizations.

Earlier this week, the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis released “Solving the Climate Crisis: The Congressional Action Plan for a Clean Energy Economy and a Healthy, Resilient, and Just America,” a comprehensive plan with ambitious and actionable solutions to address climate change.

The 538-page report is broken down into different topic areas, including one titled “Improve Public Health and Manage Climate Risks to Health Infrastructure.” (pages 313-338)

The report states, “Health issues and emergencies caused by surging climate impacts can strain the capacity of hospitals, public health professionals, and the entire health sector.”

 Stericycle Environmental Solutions, a leading provider of environmental and regulated waste management solutions, today announced it has been named a 2019 Sustainability, Environmental Achievement & Leadership (SEAL) Award winner for its impactful drug take back initiatives that have collected and destroyed more than 2.89 million pounds of pharmaceuticals. Earning recognition in the Environmental Initiative category, Stericycle's program ensures unused or expired drugs are properly disposed to prevent them from making their way back into soil, waterways and other parts of our ecosystem.