Wasted medicines

Wasted or unused medicine is a serious and growing problem within the NHS that we can all help tackle.

It is estimated that as much as £300 million is wasted every year on unused or partially used medication.

Find out more about the campaign to reduce medicine waste at Medicine Waste UK.

Ways we can help

Only order the medicines that you need

Please let your GP or Pharmacist know if you’ve stopped taking any of your medicines
Check what medicines you still have at home before re-ordering
Discuss your medication with your GP or Pharmacist on a regular basis
Think carefully before ticking all the boxes on your repeat prescription forms and only tick those you really need
If you don’t need the medicine please don’t order it! If you need the medicine in the future you can still request it
If you need to go into hospital, please remember to take all your medicines with you in a clearly marked bag
Please also remember that your medicines are prescribed only for you; it’s not safe to share them with anyone else

Remember that unused medicines cannot be recycled

Unused medicines are a safety risk