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1ISG-016 Carbon footprint of a hospital pharmacy department using the ciraig assessment tool : a descriptive study

ejhpharm · 2026-03-18 · canonical JSON source

2 visible annotations · policy: published · automated confidence ≥ 75.00%

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Background and Importance Healthcare institutions are increasingly called upon to quantify and reduce their environmental footprint. Medications and medical devices account for approximately 20–35% of hospital greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.Aim and Objectives This study aimed to calculate the carbon footprint of the pharmacy department of a mother–child university hospital using a new tool developed by the International Reference Centre for Life Cycle Assessment and Sustainable Transition (CIRAIG) for the provincial health network.Material and Methods A descriptive retrospective study was conducted from June to September 2025. The CIRAIG tool is an Excel-based calculator designed to standardise GHG inventories across healthcare institutions. It structures data according to the three scopes of the GHG Protocol: Scope 1 (direct emissions), Scope 2 (indirect energy-related emissions), and Scope 3 (other indirect emissions). The calculator includes 29 thematic modules (eg, energy, procurement, waste, mobility) and integrates emission factors from official databases, including national energy agencies and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report. Data were collected from local administrative and technical sources covering energy consumption, purchasing, transportation, waste, and staff commuting. Financial data were retrieved from institutional management systems, while physical data were obtained from facility management and sustainability departments.Results The pharmacy department’s total emissions were estimated at 13,549.4 tCO 2e (tonne of carbon dioxide) for fiscal year 2024–2025. Scope 3 represented 98.2% of total emissions, while Scope 2 and Scope 1 accounted for <0.1% and <1.8%, respectively. Within Scope 3, purchased goods and services (mainly medicines and pharmaceutical supplies) contributed 89.5% of total emissions, employee commuting 6.7%, inhaler use 1.1%, and waste management 0.2%. Exploratory benchmarking ratios were calculated: 27.1 tCO2e per bed, 139.7 tCO2e per 1,000 patient-days, 352.2 tCO2e per million CAD spent on medicines, 25.5 tCO2e per centrally compounded drug, 5.0 tCO2e per 1,000 administered doses, and 112.9 tCO2e per employee.Conclusion and Relevance Using the CIRAIG calculator, hospital pharmacy departments can feasibly quantify their carbon footprint. This approach highlights the predominance of medication procurement in overall emissions and supports the prioritisation of targeted reduction strategies to advance healthcare decarbonisation.Conflict of Interest No conflict of interest