Inholland University of Applied Sciences and Amsterdam UMC launch European research project

Making sustainable choices in relation to medicines
The project is being led by Jelle Tichelaar, endowed professor of Interprofessional Collaboration and Medication Safety at Inholland University of Applied Sciences. ‘The impact of medicines on the environment and climate is substantial,’ he says. ‘However, in many cases we don’t know exactly what that impact is from one medicine to another. Nonetheless, a growing awareness of that environmental impact means an increasing number of physicians, specialists and other prescribers want to know this information. They would like practical guidance on how to take that into account when prescribing. Ultimately, everyone’s goal is to make the most sustainable choice when deciding between two otherwise identical medicines.’

The health care industry is responsible for seven per cent of CO2 emissions
The aim of the project is to identify factors that are detrimental to the environment and the climate, weigh them and make available as much information as possible for each medicine. ‘We know that the health care industry is responsible for around seven per cent of CO2 emissions in the Netherlands,’ says Susanne Waaijers, RIVM researcher. ‘And also that medicines and other chemicals have the greatest climate impact – more than energy consumption in buildings and transport.’ Medicines can also have a polluting effect. ‘We’re advising the Ministries involved on environmental impact as part of the Green Deal for Sustainable Health Care and the Pharmaceutical Residues in Water chain approach. Owing to other assignments, the RIVM will be delving further into this environmental impact issue in the coming years. We therefore anticipate being able to provide more insights and share them as a partner in the PlanED Prescribing research project.’

New teaching materials on environmental impact
The aim of the research project is to incorporate information about environmental impact into new teaching material for medical students and for students of, for example, the Master’s programmes in Advanced Nursing Practice and Physician Assistant at Inholland University of Applied Sciences. ‘We need a healthy planet if we are to remain healthy ourselves,’ says Vera van Waardenburg, manager of the Nursing cluster at Inholland University of Applied Sciences. ‘Our partners in the field have asked us to train the professionals who will be tackling this issue. This also dovetails with the new profile of a nurse with higher professional education who is engaged in prevention and nursing leadership. Among other things, this means that you decide with the care recipient which medicines you prescribe, so that they can function properly, and at the same time consider what impact that will have on the world. The health care industry is not an island. We want to pass that message on to our students.’

Specific guidance to foster environmentally friendly behaviour
Inholland University of Applied Sciences and Amsterdam UMC are working together closely for the research project. For example, Master’s and medical students are already working together in interprofessional student-run outpatient clinics and researchers from Amsterdam UMC are also part of the special research group. One of the them is physician, lecturer and researcher Joost Piët of Amsterdam UMC, who is responsible for the day-to-day coordination of the three-year research project and plans to obtain his doctorate in part based on the research outcomes. ‘There is great interest from the education sector, including outside our organisation. The subject has struck a chord, which is promising. It would be great if we could equip professionals with specific guidance that will actually allow them to make environmentally friendly prescription choices. It is to be hoped that this will also enable us as a sector to influence the way pharmaceutical companies produce their products.’