Pfizers miljö- och ansvarsblogg

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

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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

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 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

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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

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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!

So, the year 2011 has soon come to an end…

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These days, in the end of the year, it is almost impossible to open a magazine or a newspaper without finding a list of the most important things that happened in 2011. My own list would look something like this (if I take it from a strictly professional perspective). It is worth mentioning that I have not put the “happenings” in any ranking order, these are just some things that come to my mind sitting here in front of the computer.

- The National Pharmaceutical Strategy was published and it did highlight some important issues around Pharmaceuticals and the Environment (e.g. the so called action items number 7.1 to 7.4). One very important action item in the Strategy is number 7.1: Sofia Wallström’s review on environmental considerations within the frame of the pricing and reimbursement system.

- In parallell with the work to develop the Strategy, LIF run a series of round-table discussions (and break-out work group sessions) to develop ideas around green criteria and green economic incentives. These discussions will both be important for action item number 7.1 in the Strategy (see above) and for 7.2: “Encourage voluntary control of emissions from pharmaceutical factories” (see for instance this link for more information)

- As a consequence of the discussions around the National Pharmaceutical Strategy and Sustainability, a work-group within LIF, consisting of among others members from the Environmental Committee, developed a strategy called “4 steps to a sustainable use of pharmaceuticals“.

- I started working part-time at LIF (the Swedish Association of the Research Based Pharmaceutical Industry). It is fun, interesting and challeging - exactly as I want it! I will be the project leader for action item 7.2 in the National Pharmaceutical Strategy, and also develop a CSR strategy or program for LIF.

- LIF has, in collaboration with all relevant stakeholders in the sector, planned for a campaign to be run during spring 2012 on the importance to bring back, to any pharmacy of your choice, any un-used medicines. This is regradless of where you have purchased them. More to come on this item during 2012.

- The All Party Committee on Environmental Objectives was initiated. One of the first priorities is the objective “A Non-toxic Environment”. See the blog post from the initial meeting of the work-group on Pharmaceuticals and the Environment, which is a prioritized issue in the review of the “Non-toxic Environment-objective”.

- One of the most discussed items within the field of pharmaceuticals and the environment was MPA’s report on how GMP can be amended with environmental requirements. An item that will be high on the agenda for several years to come, that’s for sure.

- When it comes to Public Procurement the most important thing that happened during 2011 was that County Councils finally started to follow-up their criteria, and company answers, on environmental and social responsibility issues. See this link for some more details.

- MistraPharma got funding for an additional 4 year period. If you would like to meet one of MistraPharma’s project managers “face-to-face” please have a look on the TEDx lecture given by Joakim Larsson on pharmaceutical substance releases from manufacturing.

- The end of the Dizza Tobak project. After three extremely fun and interesting years our collaboration with among others SAMBA and A Non Smoking Generation the project has come to an end. It will be interesting to see how we manage to build on the experiences we have gained and on the lessons we have learned when it comes to working with youth advocacy leaders and social media.

- The EU communication on CSR was published (see the communication, and also some of my comments on CSR and corporations, e.g. “an enterprise 2020 company“, and how a CSR program in a company can be communicated to colleagues). I will for sure come back to this issue several times during 2012 in my work on developing a CSR strategy/program for LIF.

- The political summit in Almedalen was as always stimulating as well as very interesting. See some of my reflections to seminars and meetings via this link.

- We saw a good participation in Earth Hour 2011, but few political achievements during the large UN Climate Conference in Durban. Cannot really say that I believe any real breakthrough to happen here during 2012…

- I received the award “Women’s Heart of the Year” (in Swedish: Årets Kvinnohjärta) from the Sollentuna Kvinnojour. I have to admit that I am very proud!

- My blogpost number 400 was written… It has become quite a few blog posts during these years… I am actually kind of proud of this as well! It presents a good opportunity for interactive communication, although I have to say that I would still welcome much more comments!

If you would like to read a summary of year 2010 and the ideas and expectations I had for 2011 roughly a year ago follow this link. As you see, some things hang around several years…