Are vegans being overlooked in our prescribing practices: An orthopaedic perspective from Bristol, United Kingdom

Bristol is considered the vegan capital of the UK. The UK vegan index reveals that Bristol has 360,000 Google searches each month for Vegan content. However, the possible animal source of the medications we prescribe is not commonly contemplated. Medications in the UK must pass through animal trials prior to licensing and therefore cannot be vegan. There are, alternatives available for some medications, that do not contain animal products. The aim of this study is to review the presence of content of animal origin (CAO) in common medicines in Trauma and Orthopaedics (T&O) and explore alternatives.

We evaluated the presence and source of CAO in commonly used medications in T&O practice. The British National Formulary (BNF), our local pharmacy guidelines and the online Summary of Product Characteristics (SPCs) for the medications were reviewed. We also assessed the suitability of current COVID-19 vaccines for patients who have reservations against CAO.

All unfractionated or standard heparin is porcine in origin; Fondaparinux is a simple alternative. Cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) manufacture involves the use of lanolin from sheep's wool. Vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) is an alternative with no CAO. All widely available Covid-19 vaccines in the UK are suitable for administration to vegans and all religious faiths. Propofol, widely used as an anaesthetic agent, contains egg proteins.

Disclosure of animal content would help patients make informed choices. With an increasingly informed population and ethnic diversity, we should be aware of the drugs that may contain animal products so that we can offer alternatives. Sometimes, pharmaceutical companies cannot guarantee or differentiate the specific sources of animal-derived ingredients, as various suppliers are used in the manufacturing process and the sources can change on a regular basis. Patients are more likely to adhere to prescribed medicines if they have been involved in prescribing decisions.