Pfizers miljö- och ansvarsblogg

More on the new Swedish PiE data…

Kategorier: Andras arbete, Miljö, Sverige

On January 10, I gave some comments here at the blog to the press release and report regarding IVL’s, Umeå University’s, and Swedish EPA’s new data regarding pharmaceutical residues in incoming waste water to waste water treatment facilities, in the effluent from those facilities, and in receving water bodies as well as in some cases also in fish. The study is “breaking news” in today’s issue of one of Sweden’s most influencal science and engineering weekly news magazines, NyTeknik. Ny Teknik presents, in addition to a very similar discussion as was found in the original press release, also an interesting article on new waste water treatment technology experiments at Sjöstadsverket performed by scientists from IVL and KTH.

One thing that I also want to comment is that both on the front page of the NyTeknik newspaper that arrived in my mailbox this morning as well as on their website, another news article regarding pharmaceuticals is highlighted just next to the worrying news about presence of pharmaceutical residues in the environment. But this article is presented in a very “positive” way: “Take a pill - and skip your work-out training”. “The work-out pill is soon a reality“…

I do often find it somewhat disturbing that reports about pharmaceuticals are either “scary alarms” or “magical innovative news”. It has however rarely been as clearly shown as on the front page of today’s NyTeknik… I would prefer a more balanced discussion, both regarding the worrying reports as well as the promising innovations. Life is very rarely completely black or white!

News re Pharma and the All-Party Committe on Env Objectives

Kategorier: Andras arbete, Miljö, Sverige

The expert group on Pharmaceuticals and the Environment, working to support the All-Party Committee on Environmental Objectives, met last Friday for a final discussion on the recommendations for objectives to be delivered to the All-Party Committee. I participate in the discussions representing LIF (the research-based pharmaceutical industry in Sweden) and I have to say that I really feel that the discussions have been open, honest, interesting and sometimes challenging. Exactly as it is supposed to be when different stakeholders meet!

Pretty much the same topics as were discussed on our meeting on November 14 were on the agenda now, and the final wording of the different proposals for objectives are being laborated upon. We will now all receive a final draft of the report including all proposed objectives allowing for our final comments. On February 1, the chairperson of the expert group, Christina Rudén, will give a presentation to the All-Party Committee. It will be very interesting to see what will remain unchanged, what will have been altered to some extent and what might even have been deleted completely when the All Party Committee publish its final report regarding the environmental objective “A Non-Toxic Environment” on June 15…

Stay tuned… This document, together with the outcome from ongoing environmental initiatives such as the ones in the National Pharmaceutical Strategy, will be very important to set the “Pharmaceuticals and the Environment” agenda for the coming years.

CSR trends in 2012

Kategorier: Andras arbete, Miljö, Socialt ansvar, Trender

 In the beginning of the year it is always interesting to “look for the trends” in different areas. When it comes to CSR and sustainability I recommend that you take a look upon the views presented by Niclas Ihrén in the Swedish on-line newsletter CSR-i-praktiken, and by Susan McPherson in her blog post in Harvard Business Review.

Their comments have helped me in my thought process regarding CSR platforms and programs. And as you know if you read my blog post from Jan 9, during 2012 I will both work on a further development of Pfizer’s CSR-programs and, within my part-time assignment at LIF, the development of a CSR-platform for LIF. Niclas’ and Susan’s comments are of course welcome in that work process!

Pharmaceuticals in the Environment - some new Swedish data

Kategorier: Andras arbete, Miljö, Sverige

A press release was issued yesterday from IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute, in collaboration with Umeå University and the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, regarding a study on pharmaceutical resudues, from 101 active pharmaceutical ingredients (API), in water. The study has also been commented upon in several news media, e.g. Dagens Apotek. The study looks upon incoming waste water to waste water treatment facilities, on the effluent from those facilities, and on concentrations in receving water bodies as well as in some cases also the concentration of APIs in fish (perch).

The results show that 92 out of 101 APIs could be detected in incoming waste water, 85 APIs were found in treated effluent leaving the treatment plant. 23 APIs were also found in fishes investigated and 26 APIs were found in drinking water.

Jerker Fick, at Umeå University, says to Dagens Apotek that the identified concentrations in drinking water are extremely low compared to therapeutic doses. Hence, there is no known risk for humans consuming drinking water. The study however states that the concentrations of some of the APIs in surface water could potentially impact water living organisms such as fishes.

As has been discussed for several years now, the type of impact, the degree of that impact to water living organisms, and potential consequences (especially on an ecosystem level) are however not known. I hope that MistraPharma and similar research initiatives could help us to understand these matters better, and also help society to identify, and specify, any potential further investments in the waste water treatment facilities.

Jan Christiansson, at the Swedish EPA, states in the press release that in addition to upgraded waste water treatment plants there is also a need for industry to design the APIs in a more “environmentally adapted” way, hence for instance allowing for faster biodegradation of the substances. I have commented on this matter of “green design” previously and I couldn’t agree more in principle, however huge difficiulties exist… It is not an easy task for our scientists to both make substances with good therapeutic effects, without severe adverse health effects, and simultaneously perfectly control the degradability. The substance should not degrade until it has given it’s intended medical effect, but preferentially directly afterwards. Not easy, but something industry tries to accomplish…

So I agree with Jan Christiansson that upgrades of certain waste water treatment plants will most likely be necessary, but we should also never forget to strongly communicate to the public, to all users of pharmaceuticals, that un-used medicines should never be thrown into the toilet! Un-used medicines should be brought back to a pharmacy for controlled disposal.

Back to work… Some objectives for 2012

Kategorier: Andras arbete, Loggboken, Miljö, Pfizers egna arbete, Socialt ansvar

So, after two weeks of holiday (although I have to admit it wasn’t really a vacation - I saw my mother pass away after months of fighting…) I am now back in the office. You may recall my last blog post from 2011, where I summarized 2011 and gave a few ideas on what 2012 will be about, at least regarding CSR and environmental affairs in the pharmaceutical sector. Let me here present some of the objectives for 2012 that I, Pfizer and LIF (the association of the research based pharmaceutical industry in Sweden) have in the field:

My most important objective for the year, in my part-time role at LIF, is to deliver according to the project plan for action item 7.2 in the Swedish National Pharmaceutical Strategy (NLS):

7.2. Encourage voluntary control of emissions from pharmaceutical factories (Lead: LIF): Introduction of a voluntary environmental labeling of pharmaceutical products.

In order for LIF to be succesful in this work it is crucial that Sofia Wallström comes to a positive conclusion regarding green economic incentives in her review including action item 7.1. in the National Pharmaceutical Strategy:

7.1. Investigate if the environmental aspects should be considered when decisions on subsidy for a pharmaceutical are decided (Lead: Ministry of Health and Social Affairs): Review of possibilities to – within the context of the national reimbursement system - increasingly take environmental considerations.

Read more about the environmental action items in the National Pharmaceutical Strategy via this link. Below is my hand-written version of the project plan for item 7.2 that I update continuously as the project develops…

Project plan NLS 7.2

I know it is difficult to see the details of the project plan, but I can tell you that an additional crucial issue (in addition to positive conclusions in Sofia W’s work on NLS 7.1) is the development and finalization of green criteria for pharmaceuticals: Which pharmaceuticals are green? Below is a summary of criteria discussed in LIF’s round-table discussions during 2011:

My second most important objective for 2012 will be to develop a CSR platform for LIF, and to maintain and further develop the CSR-programs in Pfizer. When it comes to a CSR platform for LIF you will find some of parts on which I believe the platform should be based in my blog post from Oct 19, when I wrote about my part-time assignment at LIF. Regarding the CSR programs at Pfizer I recommend that you read about them on our Swedish web site and on our global web site. There are a lot of interesting projects, programs and initiatives running. It is a huge task only to maintain them, even more so to further develop them.

If you have followed me here at the blog you would probably know that one of the more interesting developments of our CSR program I strongly believe in is the “more-than-medication initiatives”. Please spend some time reviewing our Canadian colleagues’ initiative at morethanmedication.ca or our Australian colleagues’ program at morethanmedication.com.au. These kinds of initiatives are extremely important in what I refer to as Step 1, in our model called “4 steps to a sustainable use of pharmaceuticals“:

Sustainable use of pharmaceuticals

Let’s hope for a productive and successful 2012!