Sydney, 21 April – Viatris Australia, a subsidiary of Viatris Inc. (NASDAQ: VTRS), a global healthcare company, and National Pharmacies, Australia’s largest and one of the most progressive friendly society pharmacy and optical organisations, today announced the expansion of their strategic relationship which will help to broaden access to the first medical blister pack recycling program in South Australia, Victoria, and NSW. Building on their relationship of over 30 years with this three-year extension, will enable Viatris and National Pharmacies to continue to advance sustainable practices.
Viatris Australia Country Manager, Sylvain Vigneault, said, “Our focus on corporate social responsibility is reflected in our values, policies, decisions, and strategies and extends to our expectations of our partners as well. The extension of this program allows Viatris to continue to sustainably deliver high-quality medicines and health solutions, as well as advance our responsible operations.”
“We are excited to continue our relationship with National Pharmacies as it’s a business that also supports healthcare and sustainable practices. We are pleased to support the safe disposal of blister packs in South Australia, Victoria and NSW through this recycling program,” says Mr. Vigneault.
“At Viatris we work to advance responsible and sustainable operations and leverage our collective expertise to empower people worldwide to live healthier at every stage of life. This partnership is an example of how we can join forces to create a positive impact on the stakeholders and communities we serve and rely upon.”
The blister pack recycling program was piloted in December 2022 and in its first eight months has collected approximately 1.5 million blister packs, which is 2.2 tonnes or 30,000L of material. With the further adoption of the program across National Pharmacies stores in South Australia, Victoria and NSW, the program will divert approximately 2 million blister packs by the end of 2023, which is 2.9 tonnes or over 40,000L of material from landfill. Plastic and aluminum will be separated and re-purposed as construction materials and thermal blocks.
“We are delighted to be extending our valued relationship with Viatris which last year saw National Pharmacies become the first pharmacy chain in South Australia to recycle medicinal blister packs.
“The initiative, which is available across 44 pharmacy stores, has further strengthened our commitment to become more environmentally sustainable, and has been enthusiastically embraced by our staff, members and wider community.
“Our environment’s health and our own health are intrinsically linked and as Australia’s largest friendly society pharmacy and optical business, it’s important for us to demonstrate leadership to support the wellbeing of our members and customers.” said National Pharmacies Chief Executive, Vito Borrello.
Viatris will continue to work closely with pharmacies to improve patient care, identifying together the tools, resources and support needed to offer more comprehensive care for patients across Australia.
To find out more on ways in which Viatris are supporting Australian patients and consumers, please visit the Viatris website and follow us on social media @Viatris.
- END -Media Contact:
Alicia Campagnolo
Communications Manager, Viatris Australia and New Zealand
M: 0449 902 687
E: alicia.campagnolo@viatris.com
Notes to the Editor:
About Viatris
Viatris Inc. (NASDAQ: VTRS) is a global pharmaceutical company empowering people worldwide to live healthier at every stage of life. We provide access to medicines, advance sustainable operations, develop innovative solutions and leverage our collective expertise to connect more people to more products and services through our one-of-a-kind Global Healthcare Gateway®;. Formed in November 2020, Viatris brings together scientific, manufacturing and distribution expertise with proven regulatory, medical, and commercial capabilities to deliver high-quality medicines to patients in more than 165 countries and territories. Viatris' portfolio comprises more than 1,400 approved molecules across a wide range of therapeutic areas, spanning both non-communicable and infectious diseases, including globally recognized brands, complex generic and branded medicines, a portfolio of biosimilars and a variety of over-the-counter consumer products. With approximately 37,000 colleagues globally, Viatris is headquartered in the U.S., with global centers in Pittsburgh, Shanghai and Hyderabad, India. Learn more at viatris.com and investor.viatris.com, and connect with us on Twitter at @ViatrisInc, LinkedIn and YouTube.
About National Pharmacies
National Pharmacies is Australia’s largest friendly society pharmacy and optical business. We are a mutual organisation where profits made through operations are returned to members in the form of benefits. We pride ourselves on providing high quality customer service and professional advice, along with a wide range of products and services. Since opening our doors as a single dispensary in Adelaide in 1911, our unique membership benefits, personalised customer service and extensive selection of products are now available at 46 pharmacies in South Australia, Victoria, and New South Wales, with 19 optical stores operating in South Australia. At National Pharmacies, we’re all about people. From our valued members and the communities we share. To the people we employ and those we partner with. We stand by our purpose, Caring for People, Enabling Health and Inspiring Wellness.