EAST Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership (ELHSCP) is encouraging its residents to reduce medicine waste following the revelation of shocking stats.
Six tonnes of medicine waste from East Lothian had to be disposed of last year, almost the weight of 3 cars, and an estimated cost to the NHS of £500,000.
This includes any medication that has not been used after it was issued or has passed its expiry date.
Those funds could be used to pay for 10 kidney transplants, 15 hip replacements and 50 cataract operations.
Between April 2023 and March 2024, over 1.8 million prescription items were issued in East Lothian alone, costing NHS Lothian over £24m. That works out at £2m a month, £461k a week, or £65k a day.
Prescriptions are free in Scotland, but the medicine itself is not, as every item prescribed comes at a cost to the NHS, and unused medicines mean wasted resources.
Wasted medicine presents an enormous financial challenge to the NHS, especially given the current pressures on public spending.
The NHS accepts that some medicine waste will always occur; however, it estimates that approximately 50% could be avoided.
Medicines can go unused for several reasons. It may be due to medical concern: medicines are stopped due to adverse side effects, or a change in treatment means they are no longer required.
However, more often, it is due to excess stockpiling that leads to medicines going out of date.
This can be because medicines are ordered more frequently than necessary, the quantities on the prescription don’t match the current dose, or medication is not taken as prescribed, e.g., until the end of the course or due to forgetfulness.
Fiona Wilson, chief officer and joint director of ELHSCP said: “It is a common misconception that unused medicine can be returned and used again. This is not the case.
“There are strict regulations in place that mean once a medicine has been dispensed from a pharmacy, regardless of how long, it cannot be reused or recycled.
“It must be destroyed. This is due to concerns relating to storage concerns, malicious tampering and the risk of counterfeit medicines entering the supply chain.
“We cannot reduce medicine waste alone. We need the support of patients, family members, and health professionals to get involved.”
ELHSCP are running an awareness campaign about how people can get the best from their medication and help reduce medicine waste; they advise:
- Check what medication you have at home to avoid stockpiling.
- Ask the pharmacy for advice about everyday over-the-counter medications like paracetamol.
- Only order what you need from a repeat prescription.
- Speak up if there are items on your prescription you no longer use or take at a different dosage.
- Inform the pharmacist or your GP if you are experiencing side effects from any medication.
- Ask for assistance if you would like to have your medication reviewed.
Fiona Wilson added: “This campaign is about empowering individuals to review their repeat prescriptions, to speak up if they have questions, and receive support to manage their medicines effectively.”
Medication reviews are available to anyone who is receiving long-term prescriptions.
They are particularly important if individuals are using medication differently from the instructions on the packaging, if someone is having difficulty managing their medications daily, or if they continue to receive repeat prescriptions for items that are no longer needed.
Further information is available on the East Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership’s website, www.eastlothian.gov.uk/medicine-waste, or by contacting your local GP Practice or pharmacy.
