Drive to cut waste to save NHS vital cash

Unused prescription medicines cost NHS Sheffield over £2m every year which is the equivalent of 280 more heart bypass operations, 2,800 more cataract operations or 60 more community nurses.

The war on waste aims to encourage people to think carefully before requesting repeat prescriptions and to return unused drugs to their pharmacy, seeking advice to review their prescription usage.

Dr Richard Oliver, GP and chair of the Clinical Executive at NHS Sheffield said: “Tackling prescription waste will free up some much-needed resources in Sheffield that can be spent on other areas that will benefit Sheffield patients and public.

“Prescribing is one area where some simple changes in relation to prescriptions can produce an immediate saving – chiefly by reduction of waste.

“With the help of local GPs we have identified some measures that we can put into place with the support of the medicines management team at NHS Sheffield. We are also calling on local people to help us by reducing the number of medicines that go to waste each year. Reducing the amount of waste on unnecessary prescriptions could save millions of pounds which could be invested elsewhere in the health care system in Sheffield.

“As a GP I see the difference that can be made – one patient returned unused and un-opened medicines which filled a black bin liner and were valued at £5,500.

“Unfortunately any returned medicines cannot be re-used and cases like this are not uncommon, patients do frequently return bin liners with high value waste.”

NHS Sheffield is encouraging people to support the campaign and to help themselves by saving NHS money, which could contribute to better health care in the city.

For more information visit www.yhmsheffield.org.uk/mypledge