Warning over ordering unnecessary repeat prescriptions

About 2.5m prescriptions are issued every month in Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and West Berkshire

NHS teams are urging the public to take care when managing their repeat prescriptions to ensure they get only the medication they need.

About £22m is spent providing medicines across Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and West Berkshire every month, its Integrated Care Board said.

About 75% of all prescriptions issued nationally are for repeat medication and the NHS said about 10% of that is not needed because people have enough.

Getting rid of expired medication properly is also critical because just throwing it away can harm the environment, it said.

Nabeela Ali, a pharmacist, said she supports the efforts.

She said: "I advise patients to check their medicine cabinet before placing an order. It’s heartening to see more people being mindful of their prescriptions and disposing of expired medicines at their local pharmacy.

"This approach ensures people remain healthy by using the right or ‘in date’ medicines, while helping prevent unnecessary stockpiling," she added.

"Ordering too much medication not only increases the risk of shortages for those who need it, but stockpiling can also be dangerous, especially in homes with children or pets."