Medicines and carbon footprint
The carbon footprint of Australia’s healthcare sector is estimated at over 7% of our nation’s total emissions. Pharmaceuticals are responsible for almost a fifth of these emissions. In addition to carbon emissions, health care is also a significant consumer of natural resources and a major contributor to waste products. Pharmaceutical waste throughout the global supply chain leads to environmental, human, and animal toxicities and, in the case of antibiotic residues, to antimicrobial resistance.
Incorporating sustainable practices in healthcare settings and at home, including appropriate use of medicines, can improve the health of the community, reduce low value care, unwarranted variation and waste. More and more opportunities are becoming available to discover what is happening and what can be done.
National Medicines Symposium 2023
The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care will host the National Medicines Symposium (the Symposium) for the first time on 8 November around the theme, The future of medicines: good for people, good for the planet.
The Symposium is an annual conference bringing together leading organisations, experts, clinicians, consumers, and policymakers to discuss emerging and key issues in quality use of medicines. This year, it is an entirely virtual event, in keeping with the theme of sustainability. Local and international speakers will focus on innovative ideas and initiatives in presentations and panel discussions.
Key highlights of the Symposium
Professor Paul Kelly, Chief Medical Officer at the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care, will provide a keynote address on the government’s National Health and Climate Strategy.
Associate Professor Alpana Mair, Head of Effective Prescribing and Therapeutics at the Scottish Government and Senior Consultant at World Health Organization, will present on the sustainability of medicines as a global priority highlighting the burden of polypharmacy and guidance for sustainable prescribing.
Associate Professor Liz Marles, Clinical Director at the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care and General Practitioner, will highlight how medicines stewardship, quality use of medicines and a focus on appropriate care can contribute to sustainability and better outcomes.
The Symposium aims to raise awareness about the importance of sustainable and quality use of medicines among participants and the broader healthcare community. It will also lay the groundwork for encouraging partnerships and ongoing collaborations to drive sustainable change in the healthcare sector.
Hear more ideas about the sustainable future of medicines at the National Medicines Symposium in November. Register for this free event at safetyandquality.gov.au/NMS23.
The proceedings are now freely available online. Access all the recorded talks from the event here: https://www.safetyandquality.gov.au/our-work/transition-quality-use-medicines-programs/national-medicines-symposium