Healthcare purchasing news reports that medical products used in the healthcare industry can have negative impacts across facilities and extend into communities. Some generate tremendous amounts of waste, and raw materials used in the production and transportation of products, as well as at their disposal at the end of the medical products life can create further waste and emissions. In many cases alternative products are readily available which are environmentally preferable.
The time is ripe for change. In a survey of hospitals commissioned by Johnson & Johnson and Practice Greenhealth, 54 percent of hospitals say they are looking to buy greener products. As the connection between products purchased through the supply chain and the potential health and environmental risks continues to grow stronger, it makes sense for the healthcare industry to use products that are environmentally preferable—reducing impacts to patients, workers and the communities that they serve
Using safer alternatives in our hospitals is more than simply the right thing to do for the health of our patients and health care professionals—it’s also an economic imperative. With a workforce of 4.6 million and facilities that operate on a 24/7 basis, hospitals produce a tremendous amount of waste, and the cost to dispose of this waste can be high. Reducing packaging on products—or buying products that can be re-used—can reduce a hospital’s disposal costs significantly.
Environmentally preferable purchasing isn’t just good for our health and the environment; it’s also good for the bottom line. Hospitals and healthcare facilities can rack up big savings through EPP practices.• We helped a 400-bed acute care facility in New England start reprocessing single use devices, saving the hospital more than $350,000 per year in reduced purchasing costs.
Whether your organization is a single hospital, a healthcare system,or a business providing products or services to the healthcare sector, you can be a part of the solution.