Only order what you need – Campaign launched to reduce prescription medicines waste

 

NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board, alongside local GP practices and pharmacies, have launched a campaign asking people to only order what they need in order to help reduce medicines waste.

A report by the Department of Health estimated that unused medicines cost the NHS around £300 million every year, with a large amount of medicine items wasted unnecessarily.

Debbie Campbell, Chief Pharmacist at NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire ICB, said:

“The NHS in our area is spending just under £3m on prescription medications each week – almost £150m each year. We want patients to be taking their medication as prescribed to get the best possible benefit but we know that a significant amount of this medication cost is going on unused or uncollected medications.

“By taking a few simple steps to check what medication you have at home and only ordering the medications you need, you can help reduce medicines waste in our area.”

Everyone has a part to play in reducing medicines waste. If you take regular medications, you can help:

  • Plan ahead – make a note in your calendar before your prescription due date to go through your medication and see what you need.
  • Keep track of what medication you’re taking – don’t continue to order medications you are no longer taking or where you have lots leftover.
  • Only order the medication you need – when putting in your next medication order, look at what you currently have available and only order what you need.
  • Check your medication before you leave the pharmacy – make sure you only have the medications you need. Anything that leaves the pharmacy cannot be reused.
  • Review your medications at your GP practice or pharmacy – if you want to know more or have any concerns about medication, ask for a medication review at your GP practice or speak to your pharmacist.

A recent audit looked at uncollected prescription medications across six community pharmacies in Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire. This showed there were 1,406 uncollected items across just five days, with over 30 hours of pharmacy time wasted on preparing those prescriptions.

Richard Brown, Chief Executive of Community Pharmacy Avon and Wiltshire, said:

“Our pharmacy teams are working hard every day to support people with their health, but sorting and managing unnecessary repeat prescriptions takes up a lot of valuable time. By only ordering the medicines you need, directly from your GP practice or via the NHS app, you’re helping us spend more time on what really matters – talking to patients and giving advice.”

If you have questions about your prescription or need some support, speak to your pharmacy team or GP practice.

Unused or out-of-date medicines and empty inhalers should always be returned to your pharmacy for safe disposal.

Find out more

Manage repeat prescriptions on the NHS app

You can use the NHS App to access a range of NHS services including managing your repeat medications. You can request and view repeat prescriptions on the NHS App and have them sent to a pharmacy of your choice.

A new ‘Amazon-style’ tracking system has also recently been launched, enabling you to track the progress of your repeat prescriptions from the app.

Download the app