Eco-pharma dilemma: Navigating environmental sustainability trade-offs within the lifecycle of pharmaceuticals – A comment

Publikation: Beiträge in ZeitschriftenZeitschriftenaufsätzeForschungbegutachtet

Standard

Eco-pharma dilemma: Navigating environmental sustainability trade-offs within the lifecycle of pharmaceuticals – A comment. / Moermond, Caroline T.A.; Puhlmann, Neele; Pieters, Lowik et al.
in: Sustainable Chemistry and Pharmacy, Jahrgang 43, 101893, 02.2025.

Publikation: Beiträge in ZeitschriftenZeitschriftenaufsätzeForschungbegutachtet

Harvard

Moermond, CTA, Puhlmann, N, Pieters, L, Matharu, A, Boone, L, Dobbelaere, M, Proquin, H, Kümmerer, K, Ragas, AMJ, Vidaurre, R, Venhuis, B & De Smedt, D 2025, 'Eco-pharma dilemma: Navigating environmental sustainability trade-offs within the lifecycle of pharmaceuticals – A comment', Sustainable Chemistry and Pharmacy, Jg. 43, 101893. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scp.2024.101893

APA

Moermond, C. T. A., Puhlmann, N., Pieters, L., Matharu, A., Boone, L., Dobbelaere, M., Proquin, H., Kümmerer, K., Ragas, A. M. J., Vidaurre, R., Venhuis, B., & De Smedt, D. (2025). Eco-pharma dilemma: Navigating environmental sustainability trade-offs within the lifecycle of pharmaceuticals – A comment. Sustainable Chemistry and Pharmacy, 43, Artikel 101893. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scp.2024.101893

Vancouver

Moermond CTA, Puhlmann N, Pieters L, Matharu A, Boone L, Dobbelaere M et al. Eco-pharma dilemma: Navigating environmental sustainability trade-offs within the lifecycle of pharmaceuticals – A comment. Sustainable Chemistry and Pharmacy. 2025 Feb;43:101893. doi: 10.1016/j.scp.2024.101893

Bibtex

@article{da56a748ab5546ad87e794c07d236c49,
title = "Eco-pharma dilemma: Navigating environmental sustainability trade-offs within the lifecycle of pharmaceuticals – A comment",
abstract = "An ideal pharmaceutical treatment is both safe and effective for patients. However, from a sustainability perspective, it also needs to be cost-effective, energy- and resource-efficient, and not have a negative impact on the environment. When striving towards environmentally sustainable healthcare, trade-offs between environmental sustainability and other aspects play a multi-faceted role in decision-making along the whole life cycle of a pharmaceutical, from design to end-of-life. When making environment-driven choices, stakeholders in this life cycle (e.g., procurers, prescribers) may not be aware of all consequences (environmental, social, or economic), which complicates decision-making processes. Information at hand may be ambiguous or unknown due to data gaps, complex and interdependent local, national and global healthcare systems, and unknown future developments. Thus, trade-offs may happen at temporal or spatial scales outside of the daily practice of stakeholders. This commentary aims to initiate a discussion on these trade-offs, the need for a holistic view, the use of multi-criteria decision-making tools, and clear environmental sustainability guidelines.",
keywords = "Environmental impact, Holistic assessment, life cycle, Pharmaceutical treatment, Pharmaceuticals, Stakeholders, Sustainability, Chemistry",
author = "Moermond, {Caroline T.A.} and Neele Puhlmann and Lowik Pieters and Avtar Matharu and Lieselot Boone and Maarten Dobbelaere and H{\'e}lo{\"i}se Proquin and Klaus K{\"u}mmerer and Ragas, {Ad M.J.} and Rodrigo Vidaurre and Bastiaan Venhuis and {De Smedt}, Delphine",
note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2024 The Authors",
year = "2025",
month = feb,
doi = "10.1016/j.scp.2024.101893",
language = "English",
volume = "43",
journal = "Sustainable Chemistry and Pharmacy",
issn = "2352-5541",
publisher = "Elsevier B.V.",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Eco-pharma dilemma

T2 - Navigating environmental sustainability trade-offs within the lifecycle of pharmaceuticals – A comment

AU - Moermond, Caroline T.A.

AU - Puhlmann, Neele

AU - Pieters, Lowik

AU - Matharu, Avtar

AU - Boone, Lieselot

AU - Dobbelaere, Maarten

AU - Proquin, Héloïse

AU - Kümmerer, Klaus

AU - Ragas, Ad M.J.

AU - Vidaurre, Rodrigo

AU - Venhuis, Bastiaan

AU - De Smedt, Delphine

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2024 The Authors

PY - 2025/2

Y1 - 2025/2

N2 - An ideal pharmaceutical treatment is both safe and effective for patients. However, from a sustainability perspective, it also needs to be cost-effective, energy- and resource-efficient, and not have a negative impact on the environment. When striving towards environmentally sustainable healthcare, trade-offs between environmental sustainability and other aspects play a multi-faceted role in decision-making along the whole life cycle of a pharmaceutical, from design to end-of-life. When making environment-driven choices, stakeholders in this life cycle (e.g., procurers, prescribers) may not be aware of all consequences (environmental, social, or economic), which complicates decision-making processes. Information at hand may be ambiguous or unknown due to data gaps, complex and interdependent local, national and global healthcare systems, and unknown future developments. Thus, trade-offs may happen at temporal or spatial scales outside of the daily practice of stakeholders. This commentary aims to initiate a discussion on these trade-offs, the need for a holistic view, the use of multi-criteria decision-making tools, and clear environmental sustainability guidelines.

AB - An ideal pharmaceutical treatment is both safe and effective for patients. However, from a sustainability perspective, it also needs to be cost-effective, energy- and resource-efficient, and not have a negative impact on the environment. When striving towards environmentally sustainable healthcare, trade-offs between environmental sustainability and other aspects play a multi-faceted role in decision-making along the whole life cycle of a pharmaceutical, from design to end-of-life. When making environment-driven choices, stakeholders in this life cycle (e.g., procurers, prescribers) may not be aware of all consequences (environmental, social, or economic), which complicates decision-making processes. Information at hand may be ambiguous or unknown due to data gaps, complex and interdependent local, national and global healthcare systems, and unknown future developments. Thus, trade-offs may happen at temporal or spatial scales outside of the daily practice of stakeholders. This commentary aims to initiate a discussion on these trade-offs, the need for a holistic view, the use of multi-criteria decision-making tools, and clear environmental sustainability guidelines.

KW - Environmental impact

KW - Holistic assessment

KW - life cycle

KW - Pharmaceutical treatment

KW - Pharmaceuticals

KW - Stakeholders

KW - Sustainability

KW - Chemistry

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85212825148&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.scp.2024.101893

DO - 10.1016/j.scp.2024.101893

M3 - Journal articles

AN - SCOPUS:85212825148

VL - 43

JO - Sustainable Chemistry and Pharmacy

JF - Sustainable Chemistry and Pharmacy

SN - 2352-5541

M1 - 101893

ER -

DOI