Episode 3.6 - Tracy Lyons - Planetary Health, The Carbon footprint of Medicines - and exploding batteries.

We are joined by Tracy Lyons. Tracy is a medicines optimisation pharmacist and the UK Clinical Pharmacy Association’s Environment & Sustainability advisor. In March 2021 Tracy helped to form ‘Pharmacy Declares’, a self-convened group of ‘climate conscious’ pharmacy professionals calling for our professional/regulatory bodies to 1) declare a climate emergency 2) fully divest from fossil fuels & 3) provide climate-health education and leadership.

In the episode we hear about the progress being made by Pharmacy Declares as they try to motivate and mobilise the prescribing and pharmacy profession into taking action against global climate change. We discuss the term ‘Planetary Health’ and how we must view climate change as a public health issue, not just a political one. We also discuss firemen on airplanes, the role of bees in tackling antimicrobial resistance and we find out why Tracy has this week been drinking champagne.

Our micro discussion focuses on healthcare’s response to climate change: a carbon footprint assessment of the NHS in England. What are the drugs and devices that contribute most to harming the environment and what can we do about it?
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanplh/article/PIIS2542-5196(20)30271-0/fulltext

As with all our guests we ask Tracy to pick her ‘Desert Island Drug’, a career defining anthem and a book that has influenced her work. The choices do not disappoint despite a stewards inquiry into the song choice!

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Bio

Medicines Optimisation Pharmacist at University Hospitals Dorset (lives in beautiful Bournemouth!) & UK Clinical Pharmacy Association’s Environment & Sustainability advisor.
I’d describe myself as a life-long environmentalist and I’ve always been a bit of a nature nerd but over the last few years have increasingly understood the importance of planetary health as a requirement for human health. I’m a member of Medact (Health professionals for a safer, fairer, better world) and Doctors for Extinction Rebellion. In March 2021 I formed ‘Pharmacy Declares’, a self-convened group of ‘climate conscious’ pharmacy professionals calling for our professional/regulatory bodies to 1) declare a climate emergency 2) fully divest from fossil fuels & 3) provide climate-health education and leadership.
In the last 8ish months our membership has grown to span all 4 nations within the UK and we’re now working with colleagues in the EU, USA and Australasia. ‘We’ are everyone from undergraduates to Chief/Consultant pharmacists and professors of education/research. So far we’ve seen the 3 climate emergency declarations (UKCPA > APTUK> RPS), the RPS divest £1m from fossil fuels – more is to come!

Our message is that we’re facing an extremely serious situation that will change the shape and length of our lives, but pharmacy as a profession has the potential to delivery health in a way that’s never before been possible. We want everyone to get their superhero pants on and save the world!