Overordering medication is a common yet often overlooked issue, carrying significant repercussions both within the NHS and for patients prescribed repeat medicines.
Firstly, overordering can, in some cases, cause shortages of medicines. A shortage occurs when supply can’t meet demand. While the supply chain can manage most shortages, it becomes more challenging when individuals overorder and stockpile medication.
Secondly, the most common consequence is the generation of an enormous volume of medication waste. Medications can be discontinued, dosage can change, and they can expire. The cost of this medication waste is significant, including the associated expenses for disposal. Unused medicines cannot be recycled; once they leave the pharmacy, they must be incinerated, even if unopened. The money wasted through inappropriate ordering and subsequent destruction of medicines could be allocated to other vital NHS services.
Everyone has a role to play in reducing medicine waste and shortages.
What can you do to prevent medicine waste?
Unused medicines cannot be recycled or used by others. Storing expired medicines increases the risk of medication errors and may cause harm. Prescribed medications should not be shared. It’s crucial not to dispose of medicinal waste in household waste or down the sink/toilet.
Unwanted medicines must be returned to the pharmacy for safe disposal. This process involves pharmacy staff sorting the waste into different types, with the NHS then picking up and transporting the waste elsewhere for incineration.
Taking responsibility for our medication orders is crucial to reducing medication waste’s environmental and financial impact. Implementing simple measures can contribute to a more sustainable NHS, ensuring resources are allocated where needed most.