Medicines waste campaign - Only order what you need

Think before you order - Only order what you need

Medicine wastage is a serious and growing problem, with unused prescription medicines costing the NHS across the UK more than £300 million annually.
Every year in Norfolk, the cost of unused medicine is up to £4.8 million, which is equivalent to around:

• 1,294 more hip replacement
  OR
• 1,621 more knee replacements
  OR
• 316 more drug treatment courses for breast cancer
  OR
• 188 more community nurses
  OR
• 4,800 more drug treatment courses for alzheimer’s 

Medicines Waste Campaign

To help tackle this problem, NHS Norfolk are launching their Medicines Waste Campaign on Monday 28 February 2011, which runs for two months and is being promoted through GP surgeries and pharmacies. The campaign aims to raise awareness about the importance of only ordering repeat prescriptions that are actually needed.

Ian Small, Deputy Head of Prescribing and Medicines Management at NHS Norfolk, said: “We certainly do not want patients to stop taking medicines that their doctors have prescribed, but we would like them to check what they have in their cupboards before ordering all the items on their repeat prescriptions.

Ian added, “Medicines which tend to be wasted more often are preventative medicines, such as those for high blood pressure, osteoporosis and asthma inhalers. Painkillers and drugs for depression are also often thrown away”.

What you can do to help?

• Let your GP or pharmacist know if you’ve stopped taking any of your medicines.
• Check what medicines you still have at home before re-ordering.
• Discuss your medication with your pharmacist or GP on a regular basis. You may be suitable for batch prescribing, known as repeat dispensing – please ask your GP.
• Think carefully before ordering your repeat prescription and only order the items you need.
• If you don’t need the medicine – don’t order it! If you need the medicine in the future you can still request it.
• If you need to go into hospital, please take all your medicines with you.
• Please remember your medicines are prescribed for you – it is not safe to share them.
• Unused medicines cannot be recycled – so please bring any unused medicines to your local pharmacy or dispensary for safe disposal.

By continuing to request repeat medicines that are not really needed, millions of pounds and huge quantities of medicines are wasted. So please,
‘Only order what you need’

Find out more

For more information about the Norfolk campaign: 

• National campaign website
• Medinices waste campaign in your area

The materials below are copy written to Dynamic Advertising Group and copying is expressly forbidden without prior permission. For more information contact enquiries@medicinewaste.com