OUR SITES: Centre for Sustainable Healthcare | Sustainable Action Planning | NHS Forest | Mapping Greener Healthcare | Carbon Addict

Dry Powder Inhalers - Palm Ward

By: Dartford & Gravesham NHS Trust

5.9 Tonnes CO2e (Estimated)

Goal: To encourage the prescription of dry powder (DPI) inhalers instead of metered dose inhalers (MDI).

Background: Due to the hydroflourocarbons used in MDI, DPI are 18 times less green house gas intensive with at least equivalent efficacy. Emissions of hydrofluorocarbons from UK inhalers are calculated to be equivalent to 8% of the total NHS carbon footprint.

 

Approach:

  1. Ward staff liaised with pharmacist to check formulary
  2. A meeting on DPI was arranged with consultants and respiratory nurses
  3. Drug chart monitoring took place

Savings: Staff estimate that four patients per week switched from MDI to DPI. Savings will clearly vary widely depending on inhaler use. If we assume one inhaler per patient is dispensed by the Trust then carbon savings over the six-week life of the project are 677kg CO2e. If this project were to continue for a year, assuming (conservatively) that only four patients switched the annual carbon saving would be at least 5.9 tonnes CO2e.

Palm Ward, Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust

The Centre for Sustainable Healthcare runs the Green Ward Competition as a clinical engagement programme for NHS Trusts wishing to improve their environmental sustainability and reduce their carbon footprint.

Louis Pilard, Clinical Programme Manager, Centre for Sustainable Healthcare, louis.pilard@sustainablehealthcare.org.uk