Reducing medicines waste Posted or Updated on 17 Sep 2024

In order to reduce waste and improve safety, we are asking patients to take these simple steps when ordering repeat medicines:

• Check which medicines you still have at home before re-ordering – only order what you need. You and/or your Carer are the best people to know which medicines you need each time.
• Some medicines may not need to be re-ordered every time, for example if you don’t take/use them every day or you already have enough.
• If you do not order a medicine because you have enough at home, you can still request it in the future; it will not be removed from your repeat medicines list.
• Let your GP or pharmacist know if you have stopped taking, or have concerns about any of your medicines. Regular discussions about your medicines will mean you get the right help with taking them.
• Unused medicines kept at home are a safety risk to children and to others.
• Unwanted medicines cannot be recycled or used by anyone else in the UK or overseas, even if the medicines are unopened. Return out-of-date and unwanted medicines to a local pharmacy, where they will be disposed of safely.
• NEVER dispose of your unwanted medicines by putting them in the bin. NEVER flush them down the sink or toilet.

If everyone makes small changes then together we can make a big difference in reducing medicines waste and looking after our NHS.