The NHS in Gloucestershire is urging people to only order the medication they need from their repeat prescriptions to reduce waste.

It is estimated that around 1.4 million medicine items are wasted unnecessarily in Gloucestershire each year with 53% of our population on a repeat prescription for multiple medications each month.

A new campaign has been launched by NHS Gloucestershire encouraging people not to stockpile medicines and “Only Order What You Need”.

Adele Jones, Chief Pharmacist for Primary Care and Associate Director at NHS Gloucestershire said:

“Over-ordering has a significant knock-on effect on a number of vital areas including drug supply, patient safety and environmental pollution.

Stockpiling really does have a direct impact on patients and ordering unnecessary medication can increase the risk of medicines shortages in pharmacies which can be a very serious problem. We need to make sure that medicines are available to those who need them most.

We are all responsible for tackling avoidable medicines wastage, not just clinicians and healthcare staff. This is your opportunity to help the NHS and the Planet.

We acknowledge and thank people who check what medicines they already have and consider what they actually need before they order. Hopefully this campaign will reach lots of people and make us all think about how we manage our repeat prescriptions.”

Tips for managing your medication safely and ordering responsibly include:

  • Before making an order for repeat medication, gather together all your medication and check how much you have and if it’s still in date. Then “Only Order What You Need”.
  • Medication should be stored in an appropriate place which is inaccessible to children and pets and away from extreme temperatures.
  • Consider storing all your medication in one place at home, so you can easily see what you have left and what you need.
  • Try to avoid opening multiple packets of the same medication. This will help you keep a track of what you’ve taken and what you have left.
  • Make a note on your calendar about two weeks before your prescription due date to go through your medication and see what is left. You can then order what you need.

Unused or out of date medicines can be returned to your pharmacy for safe disposal, please don’t put them in the household waste or down the sink or toilet. This will help make sure waste medicines don’t pollute our rivers and seas.

People collecting a repeat prescription are also being reminded to check their order carefully before leaving the pharmacy to help reduce waste and save money.

Once a person leaves a pharmacy, their medicines cannot be used by anyone else, even if they are unopened. Any returned medicines must be destroyed.