Earth Day serves as an important reminder of our responsibility to our planet, but the occasion also presents health care providers with the opportunity to better understand how environmental issues can impact patient health. As Earth Day approaches it’s a great time to rethink how you can reduce, reuse and recycle at the pharmacy and in your everyday lives. Here are a few quick switches to consider for not just earth day but every day:

• E-prescriptions: Order your prescription online and we’ll have it ready for pick up. You can ask your doctor to email them to us as well – cutting down on the use of paper.
• Avoid plastic bags: Bring in a reusable bag to carry your items.
• Walk or Ride: If you live nearby then walk on over or ride a bike and save the environment from some fuel emissions.
• Recycle what you buy: many of the products you buy can be stripped down to recyclable parts such as plastic, paper, aluminum or cardboard. Divide them and put them in the recycling bins found around our island such as the Camana Bay Recycling Centre and all supermarkets. A full list of recycling locations can be found here.
• Reusable mugs and bottles: Check out the gift section for some great travel mugs and tumblers and use them when you go to buy coffee – or even better – when you up that water intake!
• Supporting local companies that use local products such as Couxcoux Cayman, found on our pharmacy shelves, that uses locally sourced coconuts for their products. Buying from local vendors for food and handmade products reduces the impact of shipping from the packaging as well as fuel emissions.