Sánchez VLC, Bueno EV, Morales MA, Encinar MR, Jimenez CS, Catedra CL, Perez EA, Ambrosio AH. Green hospital pharmacy: A sustainable approach to the medication use process in a tertiary hospital.
Farm Hosp 2023;
47:196-200. [PMID:
37451908 DOI:
10.1016/j.farma.2023.05.008]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Revised: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Sustainable management of healthcare waste has a positive impact on the global environment. In order to reduce it, the sustainable practice of the pharmacotherapeutic process in all its stages is essential.
OBJECTIVE
To analyze the sustainability strategies proposed by the pharmacy service to reduce drug waste derived from the pharmacotherapeutic process.
SECONDARY OBJECTIVES
to analyze the stage of the pharmacotherapeutic process and the number and type of drugs involved.
METHODS
The study was carried out in a tertiary level hospital. To coordinate the proposals, a referent pharmacist from every pharmacy department area was selected. Four stages of the process were evaluated (procurement, validation, dispensing and compounding), patients concerned were classified as outpatients or inpatients, and drugs potentially involved were analyzed by the administration route: into oral or parenteral.
RESULTS
28 ideas were proposed, which could affect more than 1200 drugs. 39.3% would affect the validation process, 17.9% the procurement management, 17.9% dispensing and 7.1% the compounding. Implementation feasibility and acceptability of these proposals were evaluated. Those with the greatest potential were: limiting the duration of treatments when possible, favoring the implementation of computer prescription order entry, favoring the use of the oral route over the parenteral route, and implementing computers in the preparation areas to avoid the use of paper guides.
DISCUSSION
In our study, many ideas have been proposed by hospital pharmacists to improve the sustainability of the medication use process. When assessing these proposals by impact and feasibility, according to our results, shorten as much as possible the duration of treatments, computerization of the medication use process and oral administration over intravenous should be prioritized in order to reduce environmental impact.
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