Get Involved: UKRPG Sustainability Working Group

The UKRPG is forming a small sustainability working group, with support from the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare and the UKKA Sustainable Kidney Care Committee, to explore opportunities for improving the sustainability of medicines use within renal services.

This work is distinct from existing initiatives focused on dialysis consumables and other non-medicines aspects of sustainability. The group’s initial aim is to identify and develop practical, achievable improvements that could reduce the environmental impact of medicines-related care while maintaining high-quality patient outcomes.

Areas of interest may include:

• Greater use of longer-acting, less frequently administered EPO regimens
• Optimising the use of total-dose iron infusions where clinically appropriate
• Understanding the carbon footprint of different medicines, formulations and routes of administration
• Exploring the environmental impact of renal and transplant supply, dispensing and homecare models
• Identifying opportunities to reduce medicines waste across renal pathways

We are looking for a small number of enthusiastic renal pharmacy colleagues to help shape these ideas into practical recommendations that could ultimately be endorsed by the UKRPG and the UKKA. We would particularly welcome input from primary care pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and others with an interest in sustainability.

If this sounds like something you would be interested in contributing to, or if you have ideas that you think we should consider, please get in touch by emailing ukka@ukkidney.org