Since the beginning of this century, we have been debating why medicine cabinets still contain medication packs with more doses than we actually need.
This issue has been brought back into focus by the recent decision of the Ministry of Health to adjust antibiotic pack sizes to the actual duration of treatments, highlighting a matter that, although it may seem minor, has far-reaching implications.
The case of antibiotics is particularly revealing. Aligning pack sizes with prescribed treatment regimens not only prevents unnecessary stockpiling in households; it also reduces the risk of self-medication—one of the factors driving the growing problem of antimicrobial resistance—and helps minimize waste generation.
In the pharmaceutical sector, sustainability does not begin at the end of the production process, but at the very beginning. It starts with how we design a product from the outset: the materials we choose to use, the quantity dispensed in each bottle, box, or blister pack, and how we optimize its entire lifecycle.
In a sector as highly regulated as ours, where safety and efficacy are non-negotiable, these decisions must be made with rigor, evidence, and a long-term vision.
Unlike many other industries, the pharmaceutical sector operates under extremely demanding standards. Every modification—no matter how small—must be validated to ensure that it does not affect the quality or clinical performance of each medicine. This makes the ecological transition slower, but also more robust.
There are no shortcuts here: improvements must be gradual, data-driven, and subject to the strictest controls. They must also involve each and every link in the value chain.
Because the environmental footprint of a medicine does not depend solely on its manufacturing. It begins with raw material sourcing, continues through industrial processes, and extends all the way to final logistics. Every stage has an impact that we must understand and manage.
That is why moving toward more sustainable models means extending these criteria to suppliers and strategic partners, fostering more responsible relationships aligned with global sustainability goals.
The European regulatory framework is accelerating this transformation. Greater transparency requirements, the incorporation of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) criteria, and the obligation to measure environmental impact are redefining the way we operate.
However, the most decisive change is not regulatory—it is cultural. Sustainability must be integrated into decision-making, not added afterward. Double materiality compels us to look in two directions: how our activity impacts the environment, and how that environment affects the future viability of our organizations.
In this context, innovation is key. And I am not referring only to new treatments, but also to new ways of producing them: more efficient formulations, optimized packaging, and industrial processes that consume fewer resources. In other words, decisions that may seem small—such as adjusting the number of tablets in a pack—can generate enormous impact when applied at scale.
Moving toward a more sustainable model is not an option; it is a responsibility. And in a sector like pharmaceuticals, it requires rigor, consistency, and a vision that combines public health with environmental sustainability.
Because caring for people’s health also means caring for the environment in which they live. And that commitment often begins with something as simple—and as important—as deciding how many tablets a pack should contain.
Marisa Berenguer is CEO of Farmalider, ThyTech, and IDEA Tx.
Read more: El Español
