The Pharma Industry, plastics and sustainability

James Hall - Director, JensonR+ Ltd

Rightly the spotlight is being focussed on the impact plastic is having on our environment. We live in a throw-away culture and this culture is having a detrimental impact on our world and we are all responsible for changing our habits and reversing the damage being done. The impact that plastics and other waste is having in the oceans and the ecosystems will take considerable effort and global determination to reverse.

Initiatives by environmentalists, key opinion leaders and changes in legislation all play a part in communicating the changes needed in our everyday lives. Charging for plastic bags in shops has resulted in a reduction in single use but there is still lots to be done. 

The question I’d like to ask, is what is Pharma doing and what can be done?

Let me start off on a controversial note – Patient Information Leaflets in OTC medicines. I’m a regulatory person and fully endorse their presence and the reason they are there. This is possibly an “industry perspective” engrained in the way I’ve worked alongside the legislation. However, let us pause and consider… when was the last time you unfolded the wallpaper within the pack and read the contents? If you don’t read it, how many others also ignore it and do as the doctor or pharmacist instructed. I bet a fair proportion of these go unread so what is their real value? A move to electronic contents and access reduces this burden and could make a dramatic saving.

The next area is public perception of medicines and their value (monetary value). I have seen people be prescribed a whole range of medicines, especially elderly persons. Week on week these are delivered, and many go unused and stockpile in the “pantry” without a medical review of use. Ultimately these are returned unused in large quantities to the nearest pharmacy for destruction. Granted this is responsible destruction but the plastics and the energies involved in producing the product have all been wasted so the carbon footprint is sizeable.

Single use plastic for safety has a place and this is not an area we can move away from. Blister material to maintain a workable shelf-life are key. We cannot go backwards but what more can be done here?

Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), and the legislation that controls it, is present for good reason – the safety of the end user. Virgin plastic is employed to ensure no contamination and protection.

Innovation and convenience to the consumer and the patient is a marketing plus. Engineering solutions with minimal plastic and ones which have a chance of being recycled must be in the core playbook of pharma companies. PVC/PVDC blisters are in wide use and ensure product integrity. In time there may be alternatives and many pharma companies are working to reduce their products impact.

This is not a rant and I’m not inferring that the future is bleak. Far from it as great steps are being made within the industry and backed by trade bodies. Sustainable and recyclable solutions are in development and being trialled and used. In time, more will come into mainstream production, and it is important that the legislation and the regulation of these allows for their use and does not place unnecessary hurdles in their way.

Reducing carbon footprint costs and environmental goals is already an agenda item for some government organisations. NICE in 2019 released guidance to encourage use of “greener” asthma inhalers”. 5.4 million people in the UK have asthma. Some metered dose inhalers, contain propellants hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) which are known powerful greenhouse gases. While HFCs help to propel the dose into the patient’s respiratory system, many people will be able to achieve the same benefit from dry powder inhalers (DPIs). https://www.nice.org.uk/news/article/nice-encourages-use-of-greener-asthma-inhalers

Metered dose inhalers have estimated carbon footprints of 500g CO2eq per dose, compared to 20g in DPIs.

I’d welcome your thoughts on this subject would be very interested to hear your views so please do comment. Are companies making progress or are they just making statements to please shareholders and the media?

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James Hall joined JensonR+ Ltd in 2012 and has over 25 years’ regulatory experience predominantly in the OTC sector of the industry.

His background covers a wide spectrum of areas including regulatory strategy and implementation, borderline products, promotional copy approval, reclassifications, medical devices and pharmacovigilance. James has worked with several major pharmaceutical companies and a wide scope of entrepreneurial clients.