Environmental sustainability is becoming increasingly important in the German healthcare sector. A survey conducted by AstraZeneca Germany in December 2024 shows that doctors consider sustainability to be a central part of their everyday professional life and expect specific measures from pharmaceutical companies. The survey, which was first conducted in 2022, was expanded in 2024 to shed more light on the pharmaceutical industry’s responsibility in this area.

The results make this clear: Sustainability remains a key issue for 86 percent of doctors, at the same high level as in 2022. A clear link between the environment and patient health is seen by 88 percent. For 87%, it is essential that the healthcare industry takes action, with 71% ascribing a key role to pharmaceutical companies in shaping a sustainable healthcare system.

One focus is on environmentally friendly medical devices and sustainable materials, which are taken into account by the majority of doctors when making treatment decisions. More than half (54 percent) integrate sustainability aspects into their treatment decisions, especially general practitioners and internists (61 percent), pulmonologists (60 percent) and diabetologists (59 percent). Other priorities include reducing the carbon footprint of products, decarbonizing companies and supply chains, and investing in prevention and early detection. General practitioners, internists and pulmonologists in particular attach great importance to sustainability (90 percent).

A strong signal is the openness to digital alternatives: Over 90 percent of doctors support not using printed materials if digital options are available. Two thirds prefer digital specialist information, which is often already part of everyday practice. For package inserts, 20 percent and for patient information such as brochures, 17 percent are in favor of a digital switch.

The survey, conducted by Bonsai Research on behalf of AstraZeneca Germany, is based on an online survey of 259 physicians from seven specialties: General Medicine, General Practitioners, Internists, Cardiology, Hematology/Oncology, Nephrology, Rheumatology, Pulmonology and Diabetology. It sheds light on sustainability in relation to further training, visits by pharmaceutical representatives and information materials.

Editorial office: X-Press Journalistenbüro GbR

Gender note. The personal designations used in this text always refer equally to female, male and diverse persons. Double/triple references and gendered designations are avoided for the sake of better readability ected.