A NEW scheme is being launched to reduce the £1.5 million cost of medicines waste faced by South Gloucestershire each year.

The estimated cost, which roughly equates to around around 49 community nurses or 34,000 GP appointments, is due to 38 per cent of all medicines prescribed for long term conditions not being taken, with 55 per cent of patients not realising they are taking medicines incorrectly.

This leads to poorer health outcomes for patients and increases the strain on services in the NHS.

Many people are also unaware that when medicine has been prescribed and has left the pharmacy, it cannot be recycled. It must be disposed of in a controlled manner, which has a further environmental cost.

The “Stop Medicines Waste” campaign, being launched by South Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), aims to help reduce the waste and help make sure medicines are only taken by those that need them.

The CCG will work with GP practices to promote the new campaign further and raise public awareness of the true cost of medicines waste.

Helen Wilkinson, deputy-head of medicines management at South Gloucestershire CCG, said, “Wasting medicines wastes valuable NHS resources. If we can reduce the amount of medicines wasted this will enable us to reinvest money to benefit healthcare in our local community.

“As part of the new campaign we are asking the public to check what medicines you already have at home before you order more, tell your doctor if you stop taking your medication or speak to your pharmacist if you are receiving medicines you don’t use. Your pharmacist can also give you advice on how to get the best from your medicines.

“By making these simple changes to the way we order medicines and making sure medicines are taken in the best possible way, we can help to improve our health and reduce the strain on NHS resources.”