Stockpiling medication costs local NHS £12m a year

Surrey Heartlands Integrated Care Board wants people to only order what they need

A Surrey pharmacist has urged people in the county to cut down on medicine waste, which costs the NHS locally about £12m annually, a care board says.

Surrey Heartlands Integrated Care Board (ICB) said it spends roughly £162m on issuing 16 million prescriptions each year but added that an estimated 1.2 million of those go unused and end up being thrown away.

It said the medicines cannot be reused or recycled and often end up in landfill or even polluting the waterways.

Pharmacist Khatidja Kureeman asked people to check their supplies before ordering more to help cut down on waste.

She said: "People don't always realise how much difference a quick check at home can make.

"When medicines are over-ordered or stockpiled they're often left unused and go out of date. That's a waste of NHS resources and a risk to the environment."

Ms Kureeman said the ICB's new "order what you need" campaign is particularly aimed at people over 50 who are "more likely to have repeat prescriptions".

She added that ordering prescription that are not needed can lead to shortages.