Greening critical care by harnessing the planetary impact of medications: What fellows need to know

Care of critically ill patients involves large amounts of medication, perhaps more than any other aspect of the healthcare system. This has substantial environmental impacts. This manuscript describes how the environmental impacts of medications arise along their lifecycle, how to assess those impacts, and opportunities to reduce medication environmental impact across the critical care and caring continuum. Critical care practitioners and trainees have a long career ahead of them, and should be aware of, reflect, and act to address the planetary impact of medications.