A Glasgow-based researcher is looking to reduce pharmaceutical pollution in Scotland through ‘blue-green prescriptions’ in a bid to help people struggling with their mental health.
Reports suggests that pharmaceuticals contribute to 25% of the NHS’s carbon emissions.
Julze Alejandre, who is completing his PhD at Glasgow Caledonian University, is leading the research on Scotland’s first “blue-green” programme which looks to encourage access to community based “blue-spaced” activities such as kayaking or swimming to help people dealing with depression or anxiety, instead of relying on prescription medication.
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In 2022, the same research group at GCU led Scotland's first baseline study on the scale of pharmaceutical pollution in the country.
It revealed the presence of nine pharmaceuticals in Scottish water environments which had negative impacts on the environment and could contribute to “antimicrobial resistance” which occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites change over time and no longer respond to medicines making infections harder to treat while increasing the risk of disease spread, severe illness and death.
He said: “Medicines are widely used in healthcare and an important element of healthcare service delivery.
“But its use has negative effects on the climate and the environment. It also contributes to antimicrobial resistance which is one of the major global health problems of the 21 st century.”
Recently Julze launched a Blue-Green Prescribing Survey asking healthcare professionals, such as GPs, nurses and pharmacists, what would help and support them to practise blue-green prescribing.
Julze explained: “Blue-green prescribing is a response to pharmaceutical pollution. It will help reduce pharmaceutical pollution at source by providing people with environmentally sustainable health interventions.
“With blue-green prescribing, people who have common mental health conditions such as anxiety or depression could be prescribed with and have opportunities to access community-based blue space activities such as kayaking, swimming, or even surfing through social prescribing programmes.
“If needed, they could also be prescribed with medications or antidepressants that are less environmentally harmful but are still clinically safe and effective.”
The survey runs until Sunday, April, 30 and Julze is particularly keen to hear from members of the Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership.
Julze who also works as a senior parliamentary intern on One Health and Planetary Health at the House of Lords, developed policy recommendations on how to implement environmentally sustainable pharmaceutical prescribing in Scotland which includes building the capabilities of healthcare providers to practise blue-green prescribing.
The recommendations came before NHS Scotland released its Climate Emergency and Sustainability Strategy that prioritises the need to tackle pharmaceutical pollution and to improve participation and access to nature-based health interventions.
Julze, who has been researching the relationship of nature and human health and has also experienced the benefits of blue space activities for his own mental health had something to add to the strategy.
He continued: “Two years ago, Glasgow hosted the monumental COP 26 where over 50 countries pledged to make their healthcare system climate-resilient and environmentally sustainable including the UK.
“This year, we celebrated the 75 th World Health Day with the theme Health for All. We are again reminded of this COP26 commitment that providing universal access to healthcare means providing quality and environmentally sustainable healthcare interventions that protect human and planetary health.
“Blue-green prescribing is a health innovation that feeds into this agenda by helping transform our healthcare system to a more sustainable one.
“However, its implementation in Scotland requires changes in the prescribing practices of healthcare providers. That is why we are inviting healthcare professionals to help us understand what blue- green prescribing model would work for them and their patients by answering our short survey.”
Julze’s research team is now inviting healthcare professionals including GPs, nurses, community pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, community link workers, healthcare assistants to take part in his survey which can be accessed via the following link:
https://redcap.gcu.ac.uk/surveys/?s=C73FAJ9T8K
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