NHS Grampian is appealing to local people to ‘only order what you need’ when it comes to prescriptions as part of a new campaign, shaped by local people, to reduce wastage.
Medicines prescribed by GPs or given through Pharmacy First cost the health board over £121million during the last financial year. This is in addition to those prescribed or supplied in hospitals. Paracetamol alone costs NHS Grampian £1.4million and it is estimated that one in 10 medicines are wasted across Scotland.
Director of Pharmacy, David Pfleger explains: “Even small changes to help reduce unused medicines will have a significant impact. This can be as simple as checking what supplies you still have before ordering new and only ordering repeat prescriptions when you are down to your last two weeks’ supply.
“If there are any medicines on your repeat list you are no longer taking, it’s really important you let us know. Please check your bag before you leave the pharmacy, as they can’t legally re-use medicines once they have left the shop. Have a conversation with your pharmacist about anything you no longer need or don’t require at that time. But please, don’t stop taking medicines without checking with a healthcare professional first.”
The estimated cost of providing a medicine through Pharmacy First or via prescription is up to £35. This isn’t just the cost of the medicine but the cost of the time of the doctor, pharmacist, nurse and administration staff.
71-year-old Andy Hayton, who lives in Aberdeen and grew up in Glasgow, responded to an NHS Grampian survey earlier this year and recently took part in a focus group to help shape the campaign. He is pleased to be part of something that might help the health board redirect resources to where they are needed most.
Andy said: “I think we need to spell out the cost of wastage to people, and just how much money we could be using to fund more doctors and nurses. Paracetamol, aspirin and other similar drugs cost 35p in supermarkets, but could cost the NHS £35! I hate to see money wasted and I think it’s important to educate people about the cost of prescriptions and ordering through Pharmacy First, especially if it’s for something cheap and they can afford to buy it. It’s important to make people aware. There are other little steps we can all take too, like checking which medicines you or your loved one have on repeat and which you may no longer require.
Community pharmacist and area manager for Baird’s Pharmacy, Anna Marsay added: “All unused medicines are wasted resources which cost the NHS money and are harmful to the environment. There’s the cost of the medicines themselves, but also the cost of consultations, preparing prescriptions and disposing safely of unused medicines.
“Sometimes wasting medicines is unavoidable – we completely understand that – but over 50 tonnes of unused medicines are incinerated in Grampian every year. It’s important we raise awareness so everyone can be part of the solution.”
Unused medicines should always be returned to pharmacies to be destroyed safely. Please do not flush them down the toilet or add them to household waste as they can be harmful to the environment.
For more information, visit: nhsgrampian.org/unusedmedicines