Net Zero Clinical Care 2023

Supporting patient understanding of the inhaler carbon footprint: East of England (EoE) awareness campaign

Background

•Inhalers account for 3% of all NHS carbon emissions

•NHS has committed to a 51% reduction in carbon footprint by 2025

•Delivering a ‘Net Zero’ NHS actions include to reduce carbon emissions from inhalers and substitute high with low carbon alternatives

•EoE had one of the highest inhaler carbon footprint of all regions

•Upskilling clinicians and patients on asthma control and inhaler carbon emissions and environmental impact was needed

•Aims were to have consistent messages across systems for clinicians and patients and to do once and share.

Method

Campaign messages designed in February 2022 with input from patient representatives

Campaign tested with a wide range of key stakeholders including the NHSE Inhaler Working Group Members, ICB medicine optimisation leads and pharmaceutical companies

Three campaign themes agreed:

-Environmentally friendly inhaler choices

-Your salbutamol inhaler is changing to a more environmentally friendly version Salamol

-What should I do if I need to use my reliever inhaler often for my asthma?

Campaign resources produced include:

-Patient information leaflets, video and animation on each of the three campaign themes.

-Short clip video explaining the campaign materials and how these can be used with patients

-Interactive patient friendly inhaler carbon footprint comparison table

-Webinar for community pharmacists

Health and Care Innovations Limited (HCI) produced the videos, short clip video and animations based on agreed scripts

Results

A total of 660,740 salbutamol inhalers with a carbon footprint of 15,580,058k gCO2e and a cost of £1,094,011 were dispensed from Apr-June 22 in EoE. The salbutamol carbon footprint per inhaler was 23,578g CO2e. This represents a reduction compared to Apr-June 21 of:

-178,796 salbutamol inhalers

-5,371,521K gCO2e total carbon footprint

-1,378 gCO2e carbon footprint per salbutamol inhaler

-£285,870 salbutamol costs

A total of 593,626 pMDIs (excluding salbutamol) with a carbon footprint of 9,799,196K and a cost of £12,770,407 were dispensed from Apr-June 22. This represents a reduction compared to Apr-June 21 in EoE of:

-79,434 pMDI (excluding salbutamol)

-2,973,672K gCO2e total carbon footprint

-£3,229,426 pMDI (excluding salbutamol) costs

Short clip video explains campaign resources available and how clinicians can use them with patients

The interactive patient friendly inhaler carbon footprint comparison table can be used to show patients their current inhaler and help them choose an alternative lower carbon footprint inhaler and support medicines formulary choices.

Conclusions

‘Do once and share’ model across the region has supported change

The campaign materials present the key messages in forms suitable for a range of individuals

The campaign materials and messages help explain to patients:

-How to manage their respiratory disease

-Be aware if they are using their inhalers too frequently or infrequently

-The impact the inhalers have on the environment and how this can be reduced in a way suitable to the individual

Although produced for the EoE, these campaign resources have been made freely available for use by NHS organisations in their own inhaler carbon awareness campaigns

Asthma clinical education was provided to healthcare professionals to support the campaigns

Acknowledgements

We would like to acknowledge the input of Health and Care Innovations Limited in producing the videos, animations and short clip video.

Inhaler carbon footprint QR code to webpage

Net Zero Clinical Care 2023

East of England inhaler carbon awareness campaign

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