Hi,
Our trust is drafting a new green plan and I was wondering whether anyone has any ideas for clinical / medicines that they'd like to share?
Our previous green plan mostly focussed on anaesthetic gases and inhalers for our medicines division and now that we've achieved most of those targets, I'm now looking for the next project!
Any ideas and advice would be welcomed. Thanks!
HI,
Here are a few (bad things first)
Entonox vrs Penthrox
IV paracetamol vrs Oral
IV anything vrs Oral
epidural for obstetrics vrs nasal fentanl
Insulin pen recycling
Cannula challenge
Enjoy!
Liz Fitzhugh
If your trust has a renal unit then there will be lots of opportunities for green projects there due to the water/energy/waste consumption by dialysis.
have a look at our sustainable kidney care network page for more ideas
Firstly well done on achieving your targets for anaesthetic gases and inhalers! Would love to hear what your inhaler targets were and how you have achieved them (we have had ideas about a QI project relating to improving sustainability of prescribing/using inhalers but haven't carried it out yet)? It would be great if you could share your project successes here (and/or on the sustainable respiratory care network)?
Great ideas from the 2 commenters above. My only other suggestions are
- 1) More to do with inhalers. I don't know what your original targets were, but loads of great ideas and resources here: https://greeninhaler.org/ideas-for-hcps/. Things like inhaler technique training, trying to improve rate of return of inhalers to pharmacy for disposal (rather than the bin), and trying to find or set up an inhaler recycling scheme (there wasn't a national one when I last checked, but some hospitals are trying to set up local ones).
2) Recycling; blister packs - can be done via Terracycle but may be other schemes, inhalers - no national scheme currently but some hospitals are looking at setting up a scheme locally if you are anywhere near/could link in with them, plastics from dietetic products.
Good luck with your next project whatever you choose
Depends how much influence you have and over which areas:
Preventing disease 'upstream' better than recycling the products of downstream care - especially lifestyle factors as reducing smoking, obesity, inactivity will prevent diabetes, CVD, renal disease, etc.
Easier to achieve, but less impactful is then optimal managment of chronic diseases to avoid progression, avoid hospitalisations (including self-care).
Likely more to be directly under clinicians control: concepts like Green theatre project, realistic medicine, resource stewardship, ambulatory care and lean care pathways.
Easy wins of removing low value activity eg automated but uneccessary tests, duplicated paperwork/healthcare activity, making single use items 'per patient, per admission' items.
Also don't forget awareness and education (staff and management) to get more staff engaged and involved and idetifying the easy wins specific to you
Sounds like you've done some great achievementts- where are you based? I'd love to hear about how you've achieved reductions especially around inhalers.
Also linking polypharmacy and deprescribing- could probably calculate carbon reductions from deprescribing or at least roughly
And also medicines waste destruction boxes- do you use the reusable ones?
Ethylcholoride review and consideration of alternatives
Just incase medicines in theatres are a couple that spring to mind
Be PPE Free! Or Gloves Off campaigns - appropriate use of gloves and PPE?
Embedding sustainability training into job roles/ education
Sounds like you've a lot of ideas coming through