Preston ex-lawyer petitions to stop waste of NHS medications

Prema Taylor, a retired Lawyer from Fulwood, started the petition to stop the waste of prescriptive medicines after a recent visit to her local pharmacy left her surprised at how quickly unopened and unused medication is disposed of.

This is because once medicines have left a pharmacy, they cannot be recycled or used by anyone else, meaning that any prescriptions returned are destroyed, even if they are unopened.

"I am concerned in this current economic crisis and with the NHS under so much pressure we should all do what we can. I have suggested an inexpensive leafleting campaign to give the public tips on how to make savings by reducing waste," said Prema.

"This would be handed to patients when they collect prescriptions from their GP and when they collect their meds from the chemist and when they leave hospital.

"The NHS has been struggling with funding for years and there also many countries around the world where seriously ill people cannot afford the medication they need - that is presuming the medication is available to them in the first place."

"I am calling on Matt Hancock to look into ways of stopping this terrible waste. Either there should be some way of reusing any untouched and in date medicines in this country or, alternatively, donating it to aid agencies or health organisations for the benefit of our less fortunate brothers and sisters all around the world."

The estimated £300million of waste medication could fund anything from 11,778 more community nurses or 19,799 extra drug treatment courses for breast cancers.

A report by the Department of Health estimated that unused medicines cost the National Health Service around £300 million each year, with an estimated £110 million worth of medicine returned to pharmacies, £90 million worth of unused prescriptions being stored in homes and £50 million worth of medicines disposed of by care homes.

The petition was kickstarted by Prema after a recent visit to a Fulwood Pharmacy to collect her husband medication, where she was given the wrong prescription.

She said: "I got home and found four boxes of the wrong medication in the bag, got in the car and went straight back to return them and was told they would have to be destroyed due to Covid fears.

"I am simply asking the NHS and Department of Health to distribute an information leaflet I have designed, giving people simple information on how to manage their meds and save waste.

"In the aftermath of the pandemic and at this time of economic devastation it is even more important that we do everything to reduce waste and save resources."

The Change.org petition is currently nearing its 2,500 target and can be signed here.