Investigating the Current State of Sustainable Procurement of Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices
It has been shown that supply chains contribute a significant proportion of the overall impact of our healthcare systems on the environment and to our society, stemming from the fact that up to 75% of healthcare spending goes through their supply chains. In the case of pharmaceuticals and medical devices, NHS England has been calculated that they are accountable for a third of their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2012.
It is a focus of effort for healthcare systems globally but there is a perception that procurement through supply chain management isn’t achieving as much as it could do on sustainability objectives and targets, which in turn means that potential opportunities for savings and efficiencies are being missed.
In response, the Sustainable Healthcare Coalition commissioned Action Sustainability to explore current procurement practice for pharmaceuticals and medical devices and the study has identified many areas where interventions can be made to improve the sustainability and cost outcomes for healthcare providers.