NHS Money Wasted On Unused Medicines, UK

Main Category: Pharmacy / Pharmacist
Article Date: 03 Sep 2010 - 6:00 PDT


A new study suggests that patients can play an important part in reducing medicines wastage by ensuring unused medicines are removed from their repeat prescriptions.

Unwanted medicines returned to community pharmacies by patients are estimated to cost the NHS at least £100 million a year.

The study, to be presented at the Royal Pharmaceutical annual conference on 5-6 September, examined the number of medicine packs returned after public education campaigns in Guernsey and Alderney.

Lead researcher and pharmacist teacher and practitioner ElMarie Brache explained: "The estimated annual cost of prescription drugs returned in 2009 was over £186,000 for a total population of 62,000 in the two islands. Calculations were based on the number of uncollected prescriptions, opened and unopened packs returned over a two-week period."

Medicines wastage is a common problem across the globe and the World Health Organisation suggests only a 50% adherence rate to medicines prescribed for long-term conditions1. Reasons for waste include side-effects, recovery by patients who then do not finish a course of medication and the re-ordering of medications that are not used on repeat prescriptions.

Neal Patel, spokesperson for the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, said: "For the NHS, the most expensive medicines are those that aren't taken by patients.

"It's easy to re-order all items on a repeat prescription 'just in case' they are needed. If patients find they have packs of medicines building up at home then it's time to get advice.

"Patients could make a real impact on wastage by discussing any problems they have taking their medicines with their local community pharmacist.

"Pharmacists can provide a free medicines review to help patients manage their medications better, which often really improves their health and quality of life."

1 World Health Organisation, Adherence to Long Term Therapies: Evidence for Action, 2003.

Notes

The Society's annual conference - 'Supporting patient and professional decision making' will be held at Imperial College, London SW7 2AZ on Sunday 5 and Monday 6 September see here.

Source:
Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB)

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