Professor Debbi Stanistreet, Professor Conor Murphy and Dr Emilie Mahon, on behalf of the Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital (RVEEH) and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI), won the Sustainability in Healthcare Award at the Irish Healthcare Awards 2024 on Wednesday 4th December.
The project, entitled Optimising Medications’ Carbon Footprint in Ophthalmic Care, was made possible by the support of a research grant from the RVEEH Research Foundation. It was selected by the judges and described as a “Great practical example in an acute hospital.”
This topic was tackled as at present, the majority of published data on the carbon footprint of medications rely on estimates based on medication price. However accurate calculations are required for clinical decisions to be made. It was therefore sought to improve the manner by which the CO2 emissions of medications used in eye care are measured, notably by calculating the carbon footprint of medications’ packaging and active pharmaceutical ingredients. Comparisons could thus be made between peri-operative regimens used in cataract surgery, routes of administration of antivirals and varying delivery devices.
Overall, the project’s results aim to support the calculation and reduction of CO2 emissions from ophthalmic care in Ireland in line with the HSE net-zero 2050 target.
