By sourcing these new environmentally friendly medication containers, we not only align with our goal of reducing single-use plastics but also maintain the highest standards of care and safety.
Chelsea Thurston, Dartmouth Health’s director of pharmacy operationsDartmouth Health has initiated a new prescription solution to significantly reduce environmental waste and enhance sustainability efforts for its patients. Beginning immediately, Dartmouth Health pharmacies are now using a Tully Tube™, a compostable, paper-based and curbside-recyclable prescription bottle for patients’ medications. By adopting this solution, Dartmouth Health is taking meaningful steps to positively impact the environment and promote cost-saving, eco-friendly practices in healthcare.
Every Tully Tube, designed by Parcel Health, replaces a traditional plastic vial, contributing to significant landfill diversion. To date, Parcel Health has prevented over 250,000 plastic bottles from entering the waste stream, equivalent to about five school buses full of plastic.
A pilot program was launched in September 2025 to notify patients and gather their feedback. The new eco-friendly bottles will be rolling out to patients in early March. Feedback includes, “I love the new bottles. I love that they’re environmentally friendly and that I no longer have to try and shamefully hide the bright orange pill bottle I have to pull out of my bag to take my meds with people looking at me. The new bottle is pretty and discrete and makes me feel like I can take my meds as scheduled without weird looks (something I didn’t realize was an ick until this new bottle gave me a sense of empowerment).”
“We’ve seen growing demand from our patients and team members for eco-conscious solutions,” said Chelsea Thurston, Dartmouth Health’s director of pharmacy operations. “In 2020, we transitioned to biodegradable packaging for shipping refrigerated medications. This change marked the beginning of the Dartmouth Health Pharmacy's efforts toward a more sustainable future. By sourcing these new environmentally friendly medication containers, we not only align with our goal of reducing single-use plastics but also maintain the highest standards of care and safety. Hearing from our patients has also been invaluable, allowing us to see firsthand how our services and initiatives are positively impacting their lives.”
About Dartmouth Health
Dartmouth Health, New Hampshire’s only academic health system and largest private employer, serves patients across New England. Dartmouth Health provides access to more than 2,300 providers in nearly every area of medicine, delivering care at its flagship hospital, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC) in Lebanon, NH. Its network of hospitals, outpatient centers, clinics and home care facilities, spans a broad geographical area. Year after year, DHMC is named the #1 hospital in New Hampshire by U.S. News & World Report, and is consistently recognized for high performance in numerous clinical specialties and procedures. Dartmouth Health includes Dartmouth Cancer Center, northern New England’s only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers and one of less than than 60 total nationally; Dartmouth Health Children’s, which includes the state’s only children’s hospital (Children’s Hospital at DHMC/CHaD) and more than 20 locations around the region; eight member hospitals in Lebanon, Keene, Claremont, Hampstead, and New London, NH, and Windsor and Bennington, VT; Dartmouth Health Home Care; Dartmouth Health Connected Care Center for Telehealth, serving patients as far away as Texas; and more than 30 primary and multi-specialty clinics across New Hampshire and Vermont. Through its partnership with Dartmouth College, Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine and the White River Junction VA Medical Center, Dartmouth Health trains nearly 400 medical residents and fellows annually and performs cutting-edge research and clinical trials with international impact. Dartmouth Health and its more than 16,000 employees are committed to serving the healthcare needs of everyone in the communities it serves and to providing every patient with exceptional, state-of-the-art, personalized care. Learn more at dartmouth-health.org.