Campaign to cut medicine wastage

A major campaign to combat medicine wastage is being launched by the Surrey Primary Care Trust (PCT).

It estimates that waste, which includes repeat prescriptions that are collected but never used, costs the NHS in Surrey more than £8m every year.

Representatives from the trust, local pharmacies and GPs have joined forces for the initiative.

Charan Sira, PCT lead pharmacist, said the money saved could be reinvested in other areas of healthcare.

"We are constantly looking at ways to deliver better and more effective patient care.

"Unwanted drugs in the home may mean that patients are not getting the benefit they could be from their medicines. It also represents a large amount of waste as medicines can't be used again," he said.

The campaign is being launched next Monday and will run for three months with pharmacies and GP practices across the county offering advice and information leaflets.

Inserts have also been produced to go into prescription bags in pharmacies and dispensing practices.