Tackling medicine waste in the NHS: What you can do to help

Did you know that medicines waste costs the NHS in England an estimated £300 million each year?

This includes £150 million worth of unused prescriptions, £50 million from medicines disposed of by care homes, and the rest from various inefficiencies such as expired stock or over prescription.

Locally, for the Frimley Health and Care Integrated Care System, that cost is £4 million a year.

The scale of the problem

Across England, a large proportion of wasted medicines comes from prescriptions that are no longer needed or not used as intended. Some wastage may occur due to expired medicines - perhaps because the patient at times, has felt they need to stock up.

You and your healthcare team should review medicines regularly, usually once a year, to make sure they are working well and are not giving you any problems.

These conversations are known as structured medication reviews (SMRs). During the review, a healthcare professional talks through your medication with you and agrees whether each prescribed medicine is still necessary. SMRs have proven effective in reducing the number of unnecessary prescriptions, particularly for older patients or those with complex health conditions and in managing and reducing the number of side-effects that people experience.

It’s important to remember:

• medicines aren’t the only answer for many medical conditions,
• your circumstances change and so what may have been the right medication for you when it was started may not still be the best option.

Locally your NHS and partners are working hard to address these issues as part of our broader strategy to optimise care and make the best use of resources, but we can’t do it alone.

What can you do?

There are simple, impactful steps you can take to reduce medicines waste:

1. Only order what you need - Check your medicine supply before reordering prescriptions. Avoid stockpiling medication at home as it increases the risk of waste and confusion.
2. Attend regular medication reviews - Ensure that your medicines are reviewed regularly, particularly if you take multiple medications. This helps your healthcare team adjust or stop treatments that are no longer beneficial or necessary.
3. If unsure ask - Not all medicines are designed to be taken long term. If you have a medicine that you no longer need, that is causing you side-effects or that you feel you shouldn’t be prescribed any more - talk to your health care team. Prescribers really want to hear what you think about your medication so please do tell them.
4. Return unused medicines safely - If you have medicines you no longer need, return them to your pharmacy for safe disposal. Never throw medicines in the bin or flush them down the toilet as this can harm the environment.

Benefits of action

By following these steps, you can help contribute to safer and more effective use of medicines, ensuring better outcomes for yourself and others and helping the NHS to use resources efficiently.

We know that community-wide initiatives, combined with individual actions, can make a significant difference. With collaboration between patients, healthcare providers, and policymakers, we can reduce waste, protect resources, and enhance healthcare for all. Thank you for supporting your local NHS and sharing this message.