Making sure medicines are prescribed and used effectively is a key priority for Redbridge CCG – it has a dedicated medicines management team working closely with pharmacies and health practitioners to ensure patients get the right medication for their needs.
Redbridge CCG has launched a campaign aimed at reducing unnecessary medicines waste across the area.
Wasted medicines cost the NHS in London an estimated £39.4 million every year. People may also be putting their health at risk by not taking their medicine as intended.
Posters and leaflets will be displayed in pharmacies and GP practices to raise awareness of medicine waste among people. The campaign encourages patients to have regular reviews of their medicines and to discuss any issues they may have with their medication with their GP, nurse or pharmacist.
The campaign, launched by Redbridge Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG),calls upon patients and carers to:
- Only order what they need
- Return their unwanted medicines to their pharmacy for safe disposal
- Take their medicines with them when they go into hospital
It is estimated that at any one time £90 million worth of unused prescription medicines are being retained in individual’s homes across the UK. With a few simple considerations, patients could help save the NHS millions each year.
As an example, each £1 million saved through better medicines management could be spent on:
- 150 more hip replacements OR
- 106 more heart by-pass operations OR
- 1064 cataract operations OR
- 21 more community nurses OR
- 136 more knee replacements
Download the 'Only Order What You Need' leaflet
