Wasted Medicines – Cost your local NHS area £24 million pounds per year

If you don’t use it, we can’t reuse it!

Wasted medicines cost NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde approximately£24 millionevery year. When Medicines leave the pharmacy they cannot be recycled, reused by anyone else or sent abroad-those which are wasted are ALLdestroyed.

Waste medicines can arise when your GP changes or stops a medicine, but you can help us to reduce wasted medicines in other ways.

Before ordering your prescription have a look in your medicine cabinet to see what you have and only order medicines you really need, and if you have stopped taking a medicine let your GP or pharmacist know.

Unused and unwanted medicines shouldALWAYSbe returned to the pharmacy for safe disposal. NEVERput medicines in the bin or flush them down the toilet.

To help the NHS reduce wasted medicines, ALWAYS:

Think before you order repeat medicines

Check what medicine you already have – and only

Order what you need