Six million pounds worth of prescription medicine goes to waste each year in the UK.

Now people in Burton are being urged to help the NHS save millions by not wasting their medicine.

The Medicines Matter campaign has been launched by healthcare commissioners from the six Staffordshire and Stoke-on Trent Clinical Commissioning Groups, including the East Staffordshire group, to tackle the issue of unused prescription medicine.

Clinical commissioning groups are responsible for commissioning and planning health services in their areas.

Patients, pharmacists and GP practices are all being encouraged to play their part in reducing this waste.

The public are being asked to pledge to do their bit by only ordering medicines that they need, checking pharmacy bags for unwanted items straightaway, before they leave the pharmacy and letting their doctor or pharmacist know if they do not need any of the medicines they are receiving.

Susan Bamford, medicines optimisation lead at East Staffordshire Clinical Commissioning Group, said: "Wasted or unused medicine is a serious and growing problem within the NHS.

"We often find that patients don't realise the cost implications associated with medicine waste or that unwanted medicine cannot be given to other patients.

Health bosses are asking people to stop throwing away medication

"We hope that by encouraging patients, pharmacies and GP practices to think more about medicine waste, the new campaign will help Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent to lead the way in reducing the £6 million which is currently wasted each year."

Eileen Cox, a patient representative for the clinical commissioning groups, said: "Patients can support this important campaign by checking what medicines they need before ordering more, checking what is in their pharmacy bag and handing back any unwanted items and talking to their GP or pharmacy if they don't need any of their medicines any more."

Along with patients, the clinical commissioning groups are also asking pharmacies, GP practices and everyone who takes or orders medicines to play their part in making sure that NHS money is not wasted in this way.

Dr Charles Pidsley, Burton GP and chairman of East Staffordshire Clinical Commissioning Group, said: "It is important local GPs continue to support their patients who regularly receive prescription medicine.

"The Medicines Matter campaign focuses on three simple steps to reduce medicine waste; only add medicine to a repeat prescription once a patient is stable on it, only use a 28-day repeat prescriptions with patients who need it and to regularly review repeat medication."

Pharmacies will also play their part by checking what medicines a patient has before ordering any more.

Peter Prokopa, community pharmacist and chief officer of South Staffordshire Local Pharmaceutical Committee, said: "As the headlines keep telling us, the NHS is under pressure and needs to find ways to save money.

"The Medicines Matter campaign is trying to help with this by reducing the amount of medicines that are given to patients but not used.

"Community pharmacy teams can offer advice and information about your medicines, so to take part in this important campaign, please talk to us next time you come in to collect your medicines.

"We can discuss any medicines that you no longer need, and together help to save the local NHS some of the £6 million per year that is wasted on unused medicines."

How you can help

The medicine waste website www.medicinewaste.com has this to say about how you can help cut medicine waste

  • 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 don’t order it! If you need the medicine in the future you can still request it.
  • If you need to go into hospital, 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.