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Campaign Launched to Reduce the Amount of Medicines Waste

Campaign Launched to Reduce the Amount of Medicines Waste
20 October 2015

HELP is on hand for patients in Rotherham who have piles of waste medication they don’t know what to do with, as a new campaign launches in Rotherham.

After listening to patients and carers across Rotherham, NHS Rotherham Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) is calling on local people to inform them about excess medicine problems and they’ll resolve the problem for them.

Local pharmacy experts have estimated that around £1.5 million of NHS money is lost a year in Rotherham through medicines waste alone, money that could be better spent on caring for patients. In 2013 alone, over one billion prescription items were given out to patients in England at community pharmacies – an average of 2.7 million items every day and 18.7 items for every person living in the country.

Dr Avanthi Gunasekera, a local GP and GP lead for medicines management at NHS Rotherham CCG commented: “The amount of time and money spent on wasted medicines, that cannot be used again, is astonishing. Prescription medicines are one of the biggest costs to the NHS, which is why it is important that we all look for ways to avoid waste. Also, it is important to remember that it’s not safe to leave medicines lying around in the house, especially where they may be in reach of children or other vulnerable people.

“We have spoken to lots of patients and carers and heard several patient stories about large piles of medication taking over cupboards in homes and in some cases spilling out, whilst the individuals were left feeling helpless and frustrated about how to stop the problem.  We want to keep the message very simple, if you’ve got medicines piling up and don’t know want to do about it, tell us and we’ll sort it for you.”

Posters and leaflets are being displayed in public places across the borough to provide people with information on how to contact the CCG to stop unwanted repeat prescriptions and medicines.

If anyone, a family member or neighbour has medication that is piling up and don’t know what to do about it they can tell the pharmacy team at the CCG and they will sort out the problem for them: