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 the state’s largest private employer, serves patients across northern New England. Dartmouth Health provides access to more than 2,000 providers in almost every area of medicine, delivering care at its flagship hospital, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC) in Lebanon, NH, as well as across its wide network of hospitals, clinics and care facilities. DHMC is consistently named the #1 hospital in New Hampshire by U.S. News & World Report, and is recognized for high performance in numerous clinical specialties and procedures. Dartmouth Health includes Dartmouth Cancer Center, one of only 57 National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers in the nation, and the only such center in northern New England; Dartmouth Health Children’s, which includes the state’s only children’s hospital and multiple locations around the region; member hospitals in Lebanon, Keene, Claremont and New London, NH, and Windsor and Bennington, VT; Visiting Nurse and Hospice for Vermont and New Hampshire; and more than 24 clinics that provide ambulatory and specialty services across New Hampshire and Vermont. Through its historical partnership with Dartmouth and the Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth Health trains nearly 400 medical residents and fellows annually, and performs cutting-edge research and clinical trials recognized across the globe with Geisel and the White River Junction VA Medical Center in White River Junction, VT. Dartmouth Health and its more than 13,000 employees are deeply committed to serving the healthcare needs of everyone in our communities, and to providing each of our patients with exceptional, personal care.