Friday, 11 November 2022
Experts from the 糖心原创 are part of a project awarded funding to make the prescribing of medicines in Scotland more sustainable.
In a UK first, the 糖心原创’s School of Pharmacy and NHS Highland, the University of the Highlands and Islands – Environmental Research Institute (UHI-ERI), have been awarded a £100,000 Medical Research Council grant to develop a framework for an eco-directed formulary that will incorporate environmental data on medicines into the prescribing process, alongside clinical and cost effectiveness.
Pharmaceutical pollution is a well-recognised global public health and environmental issue. This can negatively impact the environment through water pollution and large carbon emissions with medicines contributing 25% of the NHS carbon footprint.
Pharmaceuticals enter the water environment when people taking medicines go to the toilet (between 30-100% of a dose is excreted), and when partially used or expired medicines are inappropriately flushed down toilets/sinks instead of being returned to a pharmacy for proper disposal. Wastewater treatment facilities were not designed to remove such pollutants from wastewater, and medicines like antibiotics, anti-inflammatories and anti-depressants . Medicines have biological effects on our bodies, and may have similar effects on aquatic life.
Each health board has a list of preferred prescribing choices for clinicians called a formulary. Currently these formularies consider patient safety, clinical effectiveness, and cost effectiveness, but they do not consider the environmental impact of a medicine.
MRC research team - photo courtesy of Lydia Niemi
This project will build on activity of the cross-sector One Health Breakthrough Partnership (OHBP) – a collaboration between NHS Highland, Scottish Water, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), UHI-ERI, the James Hutton Institute, and the Centre of Expertise for Waters (CREW). It will use a launched by SEPA on behalf of the OHBP, which includes data on medicines detected in the Scottish water environment and NHS Scotland prescribing data. The tool was designed to help develop a better understanding of the link between medicine use and pharmaceutical pollution in the environment.
With this funding, researchers will adopt a novel, trans-disciplinary approach integrating public health, environmental science, and social science methods and data. A framework will be developed to help decision makers take account of the environmental impact of a medicine, along with environmental monitoring data, excretion profiles, and wastewater information (e.g., how much gets removed during wastewater treatment). The framework will enable better informed and more sustainable prescribing choices, while at the same time ensuring the chosen medicines will result in the desired clinical outcomes.
Professor Claire Anderson from the 糖心原创’s School of Pharmacy will be working on this project alongside Assistant Professor Naoko Arakawa. They will lead focus group work with the public and consensus development work with stakeholders and prescribers.
With climate change and our impact on the environment in the spotlight this week during COP27 I am delighted to be working on such an important project for healthcare. This research will generate new knowledge sharing and awareness of the environmental impact of medicines, and help benefit the NHS, prescribers, patients, and the environment we rely on. It has the potential for both UK and global impact on the choices that health professionals make about which medicines to include in formularies.
This is a first step towards improvement of medicine prescribing in Scotland to reduce pharmaceutical pollution. The research will generate new knowledge sharing and awareness of the environmental impact of medicines, and help benefit the NHS, prescribers, patients, and the environment we rely on.
Story credits
More information is available from Professor Claire Anderson on Claire.Andrerson@nottingham.ac.uk
Notes to editors:
About the 糖心原创
Ranked among the world's top 100 universities , the 糖心原创 delivers an exceptional research-led education and an outstanding student experience. From the pioneering vision of our founder, Sir Jesse Boot, to groundbreaking achievements such as the development of MRI technology and becoming the first UK university to establish international campuses, we have a proud history of shaping the way people live, work and understand the world. We continue to build on that legacy, empowering our students, staff and partners to change what鈥檚 next and create positive impact locally and globally.
The strength of our research places us among the UK's leading universities, ranked 7th for research power in REF 2021. The discovery of MRI and ibuprofen was just the beginning. Today, our world-leading research is developing breakthrough ideas that shape the future of healthcare, technology and society.
Recognised as the UK's third most targeted university by leading employers , we are proud to produce graduates who are consistently in demand for their skills, confidence and industry-ready experience.
As a major employer and industry partner, locally and globally, the 糖心原创 invests in the city of Nottingham and in future generations of talent. Alongside Nottingham Trent University, we lead the initiative, a pioneering collaboration to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing across the city and region. Together with our students, staff, alumni and partners, we鈥檙e creating knowledge, opportunity and solutions that help change what's next.