NHS HIGHLAND: Reduce, return, recycle – How you can play a part in climate week
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Over the next 20 years, it is estimated that the burden of disease in Scotland will increase by one-fifth. Over the same period, the consequences of climate change will make life increasingly difficult for communities across the world.
We want to support our community to live long and healthy lives, while minimising our impact on the planet. To achieve this, we must radically change the way we prevent, manage and treat disease.
We know that there are many ‘simple’ things we can do to improve our health. In practice, exercise, healthy eating and quitting unhealthy habits, can be difficult for many people and require time and support. Many diseases can be prevented or improved through lifestyle changes, but medicines are often needed to treat illness or help manage long term conditions.
Medicines make up a quarter of the NHS carbon footprint and cost £1.9 billion per year in Scotland. Evidence shows that around half of medicines are not taken as prescribed and one in 10 medicines prescribed in Scotland are returned to pharmacies, unused. These returned medicines are incinerated at a cost of £700 per tonne and a CO2 equivalence of 6000 car journeys around the world. In Scotland, around one tonne of medicines is collected from community pharmacies per day and incinerated at a cost of £250,000 per year. This is in addition to the initial cost of buying, prescribing and dispensing the medicines.
Imagine what else this money could be spent on? Every one of us has the power to reduce this waste and save our vital resources. Here are three steps you can take to support us in reducing medicine waste and harm to our environment:
Reduce
Remember it is always OK to ask. Contact your GP surgery or pharmacist if: you are unsure of what medicines you take or why they have been prescribed; you are still receiving a medicine which you no longer take or would like to stop.
They will be able to discuss the benefits, risks and alternatives to your medicines as well as what might happen if you do nothing/stop taking them. Some medicines are vital to keeping you healthy so you should always talk to a health professional before stopping them. There are many services available across Highland which can support you to improve your health and reduce the need for medicines through supported activity and lifestyle changes. You can register for a virtual one-to-one advice service with the Active Health Link Workers at Velocity Café in Inverness.
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Return
All unused and out-of-date medicines should be returned to your community pharmacy. Empty inhalers should also be returned to a pharmacy as they release harmful gases when left in landfill. It is important that you never flush medicines down the toilet as these can end up in our water supplies. This is dangerous for ocean marine and plant life and can mean that these medicines enter our food chain.
Recycle
We are working within NHS Highland to increase what we can recycle. At present you can recycle all the paper and cardboard packaging which comes with medicines. Remember to remove or blank out any confidential information. Some pharmacies will recycle empty blister packs but this is only being trialled in some large retailers at present. You can also recycle some insulin pens by post by following the advice here.
It is easy to feel powerless when we see the impact of climate change and the increasing pressures on our health and social care service. Ensuring you fully understand the benefits, risks and alternatives to the treatments and medicines you are offered is the most powerful step you can take to reduce unnecessary or unwanted interventions and their inherent climate cost.
Dr Kate Arrow is a consultant anaesthetist and realistic medicine clinical lead at NHS Highland.
