The World Health Organization identified climate change as a major threat to human health and wellness. As healthcare professionals, we, as so aptly put by our peer Dr. Celia Culley, “have a duty to provide high-quality patient care today without compromising our ability to care for your patients tomorrow.”

Keeping this in perspective, the Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists (CSHP) is pleased to showcase the efforts undertaken by hospital pharmacy professionals to tackle climate change and the environmental footprint of pharmaceuticals in this dedicated section for Hospital News.

Internally, CSHP recognized the need to be leaders in this area and acted. One such initiative involved forming the Sustainability Task Force at the beginning of 2023, comprised of individuals actively involved in sustainable pharmacy advocacy, including some members of the Canadian Association of Pharmacy for the Environment (CAPhE). Immediately the Task Force identified four pillars for the organization to focus on: Advocacy and Partnership, Education, Policy and Procedure Development, and Research and Quality Improvement. 

The Task Force crafted detailed recommendations within each pillar, which were subsequently improved through stakeholder input. These specific objectives establish CSHP’s strategic focus on sustainability in pharmacy and are as follows: 

Advocacy and Partnership. On behalf of CSHP, Professional Practice Specialist Kiet-Nghi Cao, in partnership with the Canadian Pharmacists Association (CPhA), spearheaded the creation of our latest hospital pharmacy-specific recommendations for Choosing Wisely Canada with a focus on climate consciousness. Readers will be able to see these recommendations later in this section.

Furthermore, CSHP has collaborated with CASCADES’ “Climate Resilient, Low Carbon Sustainable Pharmacy Playbook,” advocating for change in our practices and outlining tools and strategies to achieve this needed change. Plus, CSHP is leading the creation of a second playbook with CASCADES that will address ways in which the operational side of hospital pharmacy can implement more sustainable practices. 

Education. Another task force recommendation was to include more sustainability topics in the organization’s educational programming. As such, at this year’s Professional Practice Conference, delegates could attend multiple sessions related to environmental sustainability. Genevieve Ouellet from Ste-Justine Hospital described the various environmental initiatives that have been implemented at her site, to inspire others to make changes at their own practice sites. Dr. Celia Culley from Island Health addressed the strategies that can be used to reduce the climate impact of inhalers. Other CSHP conferences from this year also included topics on environmental sustainability, including Dr. Valeria Stoynova presenting on the pivotal role of pharmacy professionals in climate change at the Banff Seminar and one of this article’s authors, Dr. Karen Dahri, presented on the work that CSHP has done in this area and the ways in which hospital pharmacies can begin to act at the Harrison Seminar.

Policy and Procedure Development. Guidelines for sustainable conference practices are currently under development. These guidelines will include information for conference hosts, sponsors, and attendees to help reduce the carbon footprint of conferences through multiple strategies. 

Research and Quality Improvement. This past year, the annual CSHP membership survey was updated to contain questions on sustainability. Results revealed that 86 per cent of respondents identified climate change and sustainability as a pressing issue that required action within the next five years. Survey findings also indicated that while 37 per cent of respondents have engaged in sustainability initiatives, most respondents (63 per cent) felt unknowledgeable on the topic. CSHP responded to these insights by bolstering support for members, notably through the efforts of the Sustainability Task Force and by spotlighting individuals within the CSHP community involved in sustainability research. For instance, projects addressing climate change receive special attention in the Excellence in Pharmacy Practice awards.

CSHP further backed sustainability efforts through their #PharmacyDoesMore Pharmacy Appreciation Month campaign, specifically highlighting the critical role pharmacy professionals play in promoting climate resilient, low carbon, and sustainable care. Lastly, a section of the CSHP website is being developed to house sustainability related information and continue to promote task force recommendation. 

Pharmacy professionals play a key role in addressing climate change adaptation and mitigation. With CSHP and its Sustainability Task Force taking proactive steps to enhance planetary health, we can collectively enhance the well-being and health outcomes of our patients across generations.

To discover how healthcare professionals can incorporate environmental sustainability into their practice, we invite you to continue reading this section and stay updated on CSHP.ca for the latest information on its sustainability initiatives.

By Dr. Karen Dahri and Kirsten Tangedal

Dr. Karen Dahri, BSc, BSc (Pharm), ACPR, PharmD, FCSHP, and Kirsten Tangedal, BSP, ACPR – Co-chairs for the Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists’ Sustainability in Pharmacy Task Force