Teleworking by hospital pharmacists: Another step to achieve decarbonization of the healthcare system.

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Purpose: The healthcare sector contributes approximately 4% to 5% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, thereby impacting climate change. Various initiatives, including teleworking, have been considered to mitigate GHG emissions, but their environmental impact remains poorly defined in the healthcare sector. This study aims to evaluate the impact of teleworking by hospital pharmacists on GHG emissions reduction by comparing the actual situation at one Canadian hospital, which includes teleworking shifts from home, to a scenario where all working shifts necessitate travel to the hospital.

Methods: The study was conducted at the pharmacy department of an academic hospital with 86 pharmacists (75 pharmacist full-time equivalents), between June 1, 2020, and May 31, 2023. Two different online carbon footprint calculators, one developed by the Centres de Gestion des Déplacements (CGD) and one available at the website of Carbon Footprint Ltd., were employed to measure mean GHG emissions in kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2eq) for individuals based on their modes of transport and distances traveled between home and work.

Results: During the study period, teleworking resulted in a significant reduction of mean GHG emissions per pharmacist relative to the scenario of all on-site shifts, with a reduction of 134 kg CO2eq (1,160 CO2eq vs 1,026 CO2eq; t = 3.32; P = 0.0007) estimated with the CGD calculator and a reduction of 135 kg CO2eq (1,117 CO2eq vs 982 CO2eq; t = 4.31; P < 0.0001) estimated with the Carbon Footprint calculator. Those figures correspond to a reduction of 11.5% (11,249 kg CO2eq) to 12.1% (11,315 kg CO2eq) of the total quantity of emissions associated with commuting for the 84 pharmacists over 3 years. The median distance from home to the hospital was 10.0 (8.1) km, with nearly three-quarters of pharmacists commuting by public or active transport.

Conclusion: Teleworking has a positive environmental impact and could be implemented in other pharmacy departments. The implemented teleworking approach represents an encouraging initial step toward reducing the GHG emissions associated with the travel of employees.