MADISON, Wis. – UW Health recently rolled out a new option through its Specialty Mail Order Pharmacy to reduce the amount of paper that comes with prescriptions.
Instead of the traditional stack of papers patients receive that explain how to take the medication, potential side effects and other pertinent facts, pharmacists at UW Health now can give patients more information in a user-friendly and eco-friendly way, according to Aaron Webb, director of pharmacy services, UW Health.
“Prescription instructions can add up to more than a dozen printed pages for just one prescription,” he said. “That’s a lot of paper when you think about how many prescriptions we fill in a year.”
The standard process will now be to provide a QR code on the patient’s prescription receipt, according to Webb. This gives patients the ability to scan the code with a smartphone and access an easy-to-use link that includes medication information and handouts, training and education videos, a detailed picture of the medication, and contact information for the pharmacy for any additional questions.
Patients will still have the option of having their prescription information printed if requested, he said.
“This is a win-win,” Webb said. “We estimate this initiative will reduce waste by more than two million sheets of printed paper per year, as well as associated printing supplies, and it provides options for patients to receive information about their prescriptions in a way that best suits them,” Webb said.
This process is one of several ways UW Health pharmacy services is committed to sustainability, according to Webb.
Since 2021, UW Health Specialty Mail Order Pharmacy has used pill bottles, medication coolers and ice packs made of recyclable materials instead of plastic or plastic foam and other materials that end up in landfills. These sustainable practices have prevented nearly 50,000 coolers, 100,000 ice packs and 500,000 pill bottles from ending up in landfills annually.
To ensure medications such as insulin remain effective, shipments often include ice packs made of a gel-based material. Ice packs from the pharmacy are made of gel that is nitrogen-based and can be safely disposed of down the drain or used as plant food. The plastic gel pouch can be rinsed and recycled.
UW Health also collects unused medicine to keep it out of waste streams. Consumers can safely dispose of unused and unwanted medications at special take-back bins located in several UW Health pharmacies in Madison during pharmacy hours. This has reduced more than 800 pounds of pharmaceutical waste from waste streams on an annual basis. Medications must be placed into the receptacle by the patient or their delegate.
“We are committed to reducing our environmental footprint in whatever way we can,” Webb said. “We’re glad to do this in a way that’s also convenient for our patients.”
