The hidden environmental cost of pharmacy education

The climate crisis is urgent, and healthcare contributes to the problem. Hospitals and pharmaceutical companies face scrutiny, but one sector often escapes attention: pharmacy education. While training future health professionals, pharmacy schools may also be adding to environmental damage. Labs, waste, and outdated lessons may result in graduates being unaware of their environmental impact.

This article examines how pharmacy education contributes to environmental harm. It covers how schools teach, how labs operate, and how professional values are set. The goal is to show how pharmacy education can change to prepare students to work responsibly in a world that needs sustainable healthcare.

A missing pillar in the curriculum 

Many pharmacy programs don’t teach environmental sustainability. Chen et al. (2023) found that most Australian students want to learn about it but aren’t given the chance. This shows a clear gap between what students expect and what they get.

Topics such as pharmaceutical pollution, the environmental cost of drug manufacturing, or the lifecycle impact of over-the-counter medications are often missing. Students may never learn that many drugs persist in water systems for decades, affecting aquatic life and even entering human drinking water. Without being taught how these systems work, students graduate without the tools to assess their long-term impacts as professionals.

Lab-based learning, waste-based outcomes

Pharmacy education relies heavily on lab training. Students practice compounding and formulation using materials that produce a lot of waste solvents, chemicals, and disposable plastic. McKenzie (2024) and Purkh (2023) note that many university labs lack green chemistry protocols. These habits may continue in professional settings.

Instructors often assign identical experiments to large groups without thinking about how to minimize material use. Many institutions use single-use lab materials due to convenience or outdated protocols, which increases plastic waste. For example, a basic liquid compounding exercise might involve three separate disposable containers, multiple pipettes, and glove changes that could be replaced with reusable alternatives or more efficient designs.

Energy consumption is also high. Fume hoods, ovens, and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) systems run for hours. Few schools monitor this energy use or educate students on its environmental cost. Without training in sustainable lab operation, students carry wasteful habits into their careers.

Green chemistry: A missed opportunity

The Royal Society of Chemistry (2025) reviewed how green chemistry is taught in higher education. It found that many pharmacy programs mention it, but few make it central. Green chemistry means designing products and processes that reduce harm. For pharmacy, this includes using less solvent, selecting biodegradable materials, and reducing waste.

Most schools treat green chemistry as an elective topic or part of a final-year project. It is rarely embedded into first or second-year lab modules, which shape a student’s foundation. As a result, the opportunity to instill sustainable habits early is lost. Students only learn about these issues when they are nearing graduation, too late to shift their mindset or question the techniques they’ve practiced for years.

Policy momentum and academic lag

In 2025, the UK’s General Pharmaceutical Council urged schools to add sustainability to learning outcomes. The Sustainability in Pharmacy Education Group also linked green goals to national pharmacy standards. Still, Pharmacy Times (2021) and other sources report that change is slow and uneven.

Curriculum reform takes time, but in this case, the delay means more graduates entering the field without the ability to meet current sustainability challenges. Schools may introduce token efforts, guest speakers, or a single assignment, rather than systemic change. Accrediting bodies and academic leadership need to go beyond suggestions and make sustainability a standard part of every course.

Pharmaceutical Waste and Global Health Risks

Pharmaceutical waste is a growing threat. Drugs that are flushed or thrown out can end up in rivers and oceans. There, they harm wildlife, disrupt hormones in animals, and help spread antibiotic resistance. These topics rarely appear in the pharmacy curriculum.

An estimated 30–50% of medications go unused globally. Most patients are unaware of safe disposal options. Pharmacists often are too, unless they receive specific training. Improper disposal is common even in clinics and hospitals. When antibiotics and hormone therapies enter waterways, they alter ecosystems in ways that are hard to reverse. These environmental impacts increase risks for both human and animal populations.

Pharmacy students need to learn practical disposal protocols and understand the full environmental consequences of poor waste management. Ecopharmacovigilance, the study of how drugs affect the environment, can help students recognize how small choices in dispensing or prescribing influence broader health systems.

The ethical imperative for change

Pharmacists help protect public health. That should include protecting the environment. When drugs pollute water or contribute to resistance, the consequences hurt both people and ecosystems. Pharmacy students should learn how their decisions affect health on a broader scale.

The oath to “do no harm” must expand beyond patients. Pollutants from pharmaceutical production, overprescribing, and poor disposal practices cause measurable harm. In low-income communities, where environmental regulation is weak, this harm is greater. Future pharmacists must understand their ethical responsibility in these contexts.

Ethics education in pharmacy schools focuses on safety, honesty, and patient-centered care. It should also address how professional actions impact the climate and the environment. Teaching this connection early will ensure that environmental health becomes part of the professional identity.

Toward a Sustainable Pharmacy Curriculum Change begins with recognizing the problem. Schools can start with audits of their courses and lab practices. Simple steps teaching proper disposal, reducing lab waste, or switching to green materials, can go a long way.

Case studies and real-world examples can help students understand the stakes. Faculty can introduce sustainability-focused assignments, like designing a medication packaging system with less waste or proposing a greener compounding method. Such projects encourage innovation and critical thinking.

Faculty training is essential. Instructors need support to learn and teach in more sustainable ways. Schools can also bring in experts from environmental science or engineering to help reshape programs.

Partnerships with local pharmacies or environmental NGOs can give students hands-on experience. They might participate in drug take-back programs, water testing for pharmaceutical residues, or community education campaigns. These activities show students that sustainability is not abstract; it’s part of their daily work.

Accreditation bodies should include sustainability in their program standards. Universities should reward students and teachers who lead green initiatives. These steps create a system that values both health and the environment.

Conclusion

Pharmacy education must evolve. The world faces climate and pollution crises. Teaching pharmacists only how to treat disease is no longer enough. They also need to understand how their work affects the planet.

Adding sustainability is not about adding one more subject. It’s about preparing students to make better decisions for patients, communities, and the environment. Schools must act now. The next generation of pharmacists must be ready to protect both human and planetary health.

illuminem Voices is a democratic space presenting the thoughts and opinions of leading Sustainability & Energy writers, their opinions do not necessarily represent those of illuminem.