While prescriptions are free in Scotland, the medicine itself is not. Every item prescribed comes at a cost to the NHS, and unused medicines means wasted resources.
Small changes can have a big impact. East Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership (ELHSCP) is encouraging residents to understand the importance of reviewing repeat prescriptions on a regular basis to avoid stockpiling and reduce medicine waste. In doing so, ELHSCP will be able to support individuals to get the best from their medication, and to ensure more funding is available for essential services like surgeries, hospital care, and community health support.
Between April 2023 and March 2024, in East Lothian alone, over 1.8 million prescription items were issued, costing NHS Lothian over £24,000,000. That works out at £2 million a month, £461,000 a week, or £65,000 a day!
More shocking however, is the amount of prescription medicine that is wasted. This includes any medication has not been used after it was issued or has gone beyond its expiry date. Six tonnes of medicine waste from East Lothian had to be disposed of last year, that’s almost the weight of 3 cars, and an estimated cost to the NHS of £500,000. Those funds could have used to pay for 10 kidney transplants, 15 hip replacements and 50 cataract operations.
Wasted medicine is an enormous financial challenge to the NHS, even more so given the current pressures on public spending. While it is accepted there will always be some medicine waste, 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However, more often it is due to excess stockpiling leading to medicines going out of date. This can be because medicines are being ordered more frequently than necessary, the quantities on the prescription don’t match the current dose taken, or medication is not taken as prescribed e.g. until the end of the course or due to forgetfulness.
We can all do something about this. Just the smallest of changes can have a big impact!
ELHSCP are running an awareness campaign about how people can get the best from their medication and help reduce medicine waste in the process by following these simple steps:
- 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.
A new initiative introduced by ELHSCP Pharmacotherapy teams is the opportunity for members of the public to directly request a medication review. This is a structured assessment by healthcare professionals of a patient’s medicines in relation to their health conditions. The aim is to optimise the contribution medicines make to the patient’s health, minimise the risk of medication related issues, remove unnecessary medications, and ensure prescribing is cost-effective.
Medication reviews are available to anyone who is receiving long-term prescriptions. They are especially important if individuals are taking medication differently from the dispensing label on the pack, if someone is struggling with their medicines daily, or if they are continuing to receive repeat prescriptions for items that are no longer required.
Fiona Wilson, Chief Officer and Joint Director of ELHSCP comments,
“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 how long for, 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. 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.”
Further information about medicine waste and how to request a medication review is available on East Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership’s website www.eastlothian.gov.uk/medicine-waste or by enquiring at your local GP Practice or pharmacy.