There has been a recent increase in awareness within the pharmacy profession to practice in an environmentally sustainable manner. This is coupled with the emergence of concern with respect to climate change. However, sustainability is more than environmental consciousness. Sustainable development requires consideration of all three pillars of sustainability: social, economic, and environmental.

Global spending on healthcare is increasing more rapidly than the global economy, now accounting for 10% of global gross domestic product (GDP). The WHO note that this is of particular concern in low- and middle-income countries where health care costs are increasing more rapidly than in high-income countries. As public money funds the majority of healthcare expenditure, this gives rise to ethical concerns with respect to universal access and equality in the provision of health care to populations.

Sustainability has been further described in the Brundtland report as “meet(ing) the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” (United Nations, 1987).

This session will provide an opportunity to discuss ethical considerations with respect to sustainable provision of healthcare for current and future
generations.

Moderator:
- Betty Chaar, Associate Professor The University of Sydney, Australia
- Carl Schneider, Associate Professor in Pharmacy Practice
The University of Sydney School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Australia

Panellists:
-  Cicely Roche, Associate Professor in Practice of Pharmacy & Trinity College Dublin Fellow in Education for Sustainable Development, Ireland
- Sharon Pfleger,Professor Consultant in Pharmaceutical Public Health NHS Highland, United Kingdom
- Sanya Ram, Senior Lecturer Auckland University, New Zealand