PATIENTS in Coventry and Warwickshire are being encouraged to only request what they need when ordering their repeat prescriptions.
The NHS in Coventry and Warwickshire has launched a new medicine waste campaign aimed at reducing the number of medicines that are prescribed unnecessarily on repeat prescriptions.
To reduce the estimated 1.6million items of medicine which are wasted in the region each year, the health service is encouraging people to ‘only order what you need’ – and highlighting the risks that stockpiling medicines can cause.
The £13.3million lost each year to medicines waste is enough to pay for 2,300 knee replacements, 39,000 rounds of chemotherapy, or 345,000 GP appointments.
Dr Imogen Staveley, GP and Chief Medical Officer at NHS Coventry and Warwickshire ICB, said: “Medication plays a vital role in keeping many people happy and healthy. However, in Coventry and Warwickshire it’s estimated that 1.6million items are prescribed unnecessarily each year, which is equivalent to £13.3million.
“Stockpiling medicines can also be dangerous. Expired medicines might not work as intended and keeping lots of medicines at home could be a risk to children and pets if they managed to get access to them.
“That’s why we’re encouraging people who are on repeat prescriptions to only order what they need so we can reduce waste and keep them and their loved ones safe.”
The campaign aims to dispel the myth that if someone doesn’t order a medication, they will not be able to order it in future.
It also urges people to check the medicines they have at home when they order their repeat prescriptions.
Patients are also being reminded that unused medicines expire and might not work as intended, keeping stocks of medicines at home can be a danger to pets and children, and that prescribed medicines should not be shared with others.
The NHS says the best way to manage medicines waste is to give them to a pharmacist, keeping them from polluting rivers and waterways.
People are also being asked to check their prescription bag when leaving the pharmacy to make sure they only have what they need and that there’s nothing extra in the bag. If an item is returned before it leaves the pharmacy, it can be reused.
If someone has stopped taking any medications or they are no longer right for them, they are being encouraged to discuss this with a healthcare professional so they can make sure they are getting the medication they need.
Visit www.happyhealthylives.uk/yourmeds for more information.
