Medicines waste

Only Order What You Need! We’re highlighting the impact of Medicines Waste and asking patients to check what medicines they have at home before ordering more.

Why is this important? Over six million medicines are ordered each year in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland, including inhalers, test strips, ONS, blood thinners. However, it’s estimated that £3 million worth of medicines are are wasted unnecessarily each year. This money could be used to fund additional staff and provide direct care.

We need your help to reduce this.

Stay Well

Unused medicines expire and might not work as we want them to.
Keeping big stocks of medicines at home can make drug shortages worse.

Stay Safe

Big stocks of medicines at home can be a danger to children and pets.
Medicines are only prescribed for you and to be safe, should not be shared.

Stay Green

The best way to manage waste medicines, is to give them to your pharmacy. This helps stop medicines polluting our beautiful rivers and sea.
By only ordering what you need, you help the environment, because once medicines have left the pharmacy, they cannot be recycled or use by anyone else.

What we can do

The good news is there is a lot we can do to tackle medicines waste, and everyone can play a part. Thank you for helping your community to reduce medicine waste.

Only order what you need

Check what medicines you have at home before you order your repeat prescriptions. If you have enough, only request the medicines you need this time. You will still be able to order others again in future

Speak to your pharmacy team if you have any questions about how to change your prescription request

Check your prescription bag before leaving the pharmacy to make sure that you only have what you need and that there’s nothing extra in there. If you return an item before you leave the pharmacy, the medicines can be reused.

The video above was created by the NHS in Fife and explains why reducing medicine waste is so important.

Your medicines and hospitals

Always keep a list of your medicines, the doses, and how you take them in your wallet or purse, and if you know you’re going into hospital take all your medicines with you.

These actions mean that staff have a complete record of what you’re taking, that the hospital won’t need to dispense more of the same medication and can speed up your care.

When it’s time to go home take the right medicines with you. Before you leave ask if any changes have been made to your medicines and take home everything that’s still suitable.

Reduce waste with a conversation

Let your pharmacy team know if you’ve stopped taking any of your medicines or if they’re no longer right for you.

This is not a problem, and in fact, means your team will be able to improve your healthcare.

Out of date medicines can be returned to your pharmacy for safe disposal.

Order your repeat prescriptions in the NHS App

You can order your repeat prescriptions at any time in the NHS App, without joining a telephone queue or waiting until your GP surgery opens.

The NHS App will show you the medicines you can request, and you simply just need to click on the items you need.

You can also easily choose where your prescriptions are sent by changing your nominated pharmacy to wherever suits you. 

Download the NHS App or find the same service on the NHS website: www.nhs.uk/nhs-app