Why Pharmacy Education Must Embrace Planetary Health — a Call to Action for Sustainable Healthcare

Recent research underscores a growing but under-realised opportunity within pharmacy education. As the environmental footprint of medicines becomes increasingly apparent, pharmacists — past, present and future — are uniquely positioned to safeguard both human and planetary health. But to do so, education programmes must evolve.

New Findings: The Gap Between Awareness and Action

A study led by Monash University evaluated a co-designed “Planetary Health Education” (PHE) curriculum delivered to 398 pharmacy students across campuses in Australia and Malaysia. The results revealed a striking mismatch: while many students grasped the idea that pharmacists could influence environmental outcomes, fewer than 4% made the connection between planetary health, equity and social justice.

The study highlighted that routine pharmacy practices — from safe medicine disposal to antibiotic prescribing — directly affect environmental and public health outcomes. But without structured education, students struggled to see the broader context or to link antimicrobial resistance (AMR) with environmental degradation and social inequality.

Why This Matters: Pharmaceuticals, Environment and Health Intersect

The pharmacy sector plays a central role in the lifecycle of medicines — from manufacturing and prescribing to disposal — making it a significant contributor to healthcare’s carbon footprint and environmental pollution.

For example, medicines disposed of improperly can contaminate water systems, contributing to ecological harm and accelerating antimicrobial resistance. Meanwhile, the carbon footprint of pharmaceuticals and associated supply chains adds to the environmental burden.

Education as the Pathway to Change

Embedding planetary health in pharmacy curricula can equip future pharmacists with the knowledge, skills and sense of responsibility needed to reduce environmental harm. The study authors argue that co-designed, practical curricula grounded in PHE principles help students understand how everyday decisions — prescribing, dispensing, disposal — impact both patient and planetary health.

In the UK, momentum is building: regulatory guidance suggests that sustainable medicine use and environmental stewardship should be part of initial pharmacist training.

Recommendations for Policymakers, Educators and Practitioners

• Integrate planetary-health principles across pharmacy education: Rather than optional modules, sustainability and environmental impact should be core components of undergraduate and postgraduate pharmacy curricula.
• Teach antimicrobial stewardship through an environmental and social lens: Students should understand how overuse or improper disposal of antimicrobials contributes not just to resistance, but also to environmental pollution and health inequities.
• Promote sustainable prescribing and disposal practices: Encourage practices that minimise waste, support proper medicine disposal, and favour lower-impact alternatives where clinically suitable.
• Support broader health equity awareness: Recognise that environmental harms disproportionately affect marginalised and vulnerable populations — education should build advocacy skills as well as clinical competence.
• Encourage professional advocacy and system-level change: Policymakers, regulatory bodies and professional organisations should support sustainability commitments across pharmacy practice.

Conclusion — A Profession at the Crossroads

Pharmacy sits at a critical junction — between individual patient care and global environmental stewardship. As the healthcare sector grapples with its climate impact, pharmacists have a vital role to play. But they need the tools, training and mindset to step up.

By reframing pharmacy education around planetary health, we can empower the next generation of pharmacists to make prescribing, dispensing, and disposal decisions that safeguard not only human health, but the health of the planet too.

Based on findings published in Innovations in Education and Teaching International and recent reporting on pharmacy education and sustainability practices. November 2025.

Comments are disabled