A 2010 report by Trueman et al. estimated that medicines waste in primary care and care homes costs England £250–£300 million each year, which is about £1 for every £25 spent on NHS medicines. According to the Greener NHS Delivering Net Zero report, medicines account for around 25% of the NHS’s carbon footprint.

Research shows that nearly a fifth of unused medicines in people’s homes will never be used, and about a fifth of all medicine waste results from intentional non-adherence. For every £1 spent on pharmaceuticals, 0.1558kg of CO2e is emitted, and each hospital bed day produces 63.7kg of CO2e.

Reducing medicine waste not only helps lower greenhouse gas emissions but also improves care quality and health outcomes.

Work being undertaken

We conducted a public engagement mini-pilot on medicine waste across south east London, aiming to raise awareness about safe disposal, reduce overprescribing and understand the causes of medicine waste. The pilot took place in non-traditional locations to engage local communities. Find out more about this pilot and its results here.

A further mini-pilot was carried out in two SEL care homes to measure the carbon and monetary cost of wasted medicines, as well as to explore the reasons for waste and non-adherence, including the use of compliance aids. Learn more about this pilot and its findings here.