The Energy-Intensive Production of the Pharmaceutical Industry

Keywords: Pharmaceutical, Energy, Climate Change
Abstract Type: Poster Abstract

Abstract

The pharmaceutical industry serves a strong purpose to people all over the world. It provides medications to a variety of different patients and also provides medical supplies to patients who need it. The industry keeps growing as well with new medications and new advances in healthcare to provide every patient what they need. Although this industry has a lot of benefits, it also comes with its cons. Pharmaceutical production requires a lot of power for specific environments with certain temperatures and humidity which makes the production energy-intensive. This industry spends over 1 billion dollars a year on energy and generates emissions that are harmful to the environment as well. These emissions can lead to harmful chemicals in the atmosphere and potentially lead to climate change and other environmental damages. But switching over to more energy efficient strategies, the industry could save up to more than 30% in costs and prevent emissions from entering the environment. With better management of the money for this industry, it could potentially save money and provide better services to patients and potentially help combat climate change and other environmental problems. There’s many resources that go into pharmaceutical production and better management of those resources can make production more efficient as well and help increase the production of medications and other pharmaceuticals. In order to be staffed in a pharmaceutical company it requires a lot of training and education so there’s definitely smart people in this industry to make the right decisions.