On 15 May 2024, the Pharmacoeconomics Department at Gesundheit Österreich hosted a webinar on greener pharmaceuticals. The event, part of the European Public Health Week - Health is a political choice - and Horizon Europe ASCERTAIN, focused on policies to reduce the environmental impact of pharmaceuticals.
The webinar highlighted the significant role of pharmaceuticals in transitioning towards a planetary health approach. Currently, pharmaceuticals contribute largely to the carbon footprint of health systems, and their manufacturing and improper disposal can negatively impact ecosystems.
The event explored existing policy measures, including health technology assessment (HTA) and public procurement of medicines, and how they can be used to transition towards more sustainable health systems. It drew on research findings and experiences from Austria, Denmark, and the UK in promoting greener pharmaceuticals.
Key learnings from the webinar included:
- Welcome and introduction
Maximilian Salcher-Konrad (GÖG - Austrian National Public Health Institute) outlined potential policy levers for promoting more sustainable pharmaceuticals along the pharmaceutical value chain. - The role of pharmaceuticals in achieving net zero: greener pharmaceuticals in the UK
Nadine Henderson (OHE - Office of Health Economics) presented findings on promoting greener pharmaceuticals from an OHE report for the UK government, focusing on financial incentives, regulatory incentives, reputational incentives, collaborative incentives as well as pricing, reimbursement and procurement policy incentives. - What role for environmental impacts of pharmaceuticals in HTA? Overview of an evolving evidence landscape
Oliver Gröne (OptiMedis / University Witten/Herdecke) discussed methodological challenges in considering environmental aspects in HTA and presented different methodological approaches and their applications in use cases. - Green criteria in the public procurement of medicines: experience from national tenders in Denmark and the joint Nordic tenders
Sofie Pedersen (Amgros) highlighted the feasibility of awarding environmental aspects in tendering, with examples from Denmark and jont Nordic tenders, and showed that inclusion of environmental aspects in the tenders has neither resulted in higher costs nor in supply issues. - Transitioning towards an environmentally sustainable health system: experience from Austria
Ruperta Lichtenecker (GÖG - Austrian National Public Health Institute) presented several projects initiated by the Competence Center Climate and Health at GÖG to promote environmental protection in health care in Austria.
The webinar confirmed the challenges and progress in incorporating environmental aspects in various activities related to medicines. While robust methodological approaches are being explored and data availability is to be improved, several examples showcased the feasibility of initiatives towards greener pharmaceuticals. The importance of multi-stakeholder coordination and collaboration was emphasized.
You can find more information on this webinar and the speakers here.