Wasted or unused medicine is a serious and growing problem within the NHS that you can help tackle.
Medicines that are requested on prescriptions but then not used are sometimes referred to as Medicines Waste. Nationally, for every £25 spent on prescription medication, £1 is wasted.
The NHS pays for every medicine it dispenses, there is no such thing as a free prescription, and if it is not needed by the patient the NHS also pays for the medicines to be disposed of.
By talking and listening to the local community, GPs, pharmacies and other healthcare professionals it’s clear how important it is that we tackle the issue of medicine waste, particularly at a time when locally and nationally the NHS system is facing major challenges to meet the demand for services within available resources.
Reducing medicines waste is important to us, but it is not something we can do alone.
We need your help to work together to stop medicines waste across the area, reduce the spend, and get more from your local NHS.
We want to raise awareness amongst the public and need to get residents in South East London to:
If your GP prescribes medication to treat a condition, it’s important to take it in exactly the way that it’s been prescribed to receive the most benefit.
If you stop taking your medication – or if you stop taking it in the way your doctor prescribed – please tell your doctor about this. They’ll help you to make an informed choice about your medication and may be able to prescribe an alternative.
Cold weather can make some health problems worse and even lead to serious complications, especially if you’re 65 or older, or if you have a long-term health condition.
A meeting of the Partnership Southwark Strategic Board will be held in public on Thursday, 22 May 2025. This board is made up of representatives from organisations within Partnership Southwark as well as community representatives within the borough. People and community members from the borough are welcome to attend and ask questions. You can submit […]
Wednesday 19 March was National Social Prescribing Day and Lewisham had a double celebration with two separate events, bringing together Social Prescribers and residents for this annual celebration. On Wednesday 19 March all Social Prescribers Link Workers supporting Lewisham Primary Care Networks spent time together at the Waldron Wellbeing Centre. Bria McCalman, Social Prescribing Lead […]