Medicine waste

Any medication that is not going to be used, or has gone past it's expiry date is considered medicine waste.

Wasted medicines are an enormous financial challenge to NHS Lothian. 

Although some medicine waste is expected.  An estimated 50% could be avoided.
 

Reducing avoidable medicine waste would increase funding for other essential services across the NHS.

Why are medicines unused?

There can be many reasons why a medicine is unused:

• medicines are not taken as prescribed e.g. less frequently leading to stockpiling.
• medicines are stopped due to adverse side effects or personal beliefs
• medicines are not taken due to forgetfulness
• a change in treatment means medicines are no longer required
• quantities on prescriptions don't match with the dose currently taken, causing an excess of supply
• medicines are ordered more frequently than required - for example, they are detailed on a repeat prescription order, and are issued every time, rather than 'as required'
• medicines go out of date

Why can unused medicines not be returned, and reused?

For safety, medicines cannot be reused or recycled. 

• Once a dispensed medicine has left the community pharmacy, regardless of how long for, it cannot me reused or recycled and must be destroyed.
• The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulation Agency (MHRA) say that medicines should not be reused because once they have left the pharmacy, quality cannot be guaranteed
• This is due to concerns over storage conditions, malicious tampering and the risks of counterfeit medicines entering the supply chain. .  

How can medicine waste be avoided? 

The best way to avoid medicine waste is to order only what you need. 

Managing medicines correctly will reduce unused medicines. 

This reduces the amount of medicines returned to pharmacies for destruction. 

PLEASE REMEMBER!  

• You must never share medicines prescribed for you with family or friends – this can be very dangerous.
   

How are unused medicines disposed of? 

It is very important that medicines are disposed of safely.  It is important, any unused medicine is returned to a pharmacy, regardless of where it was dispensed on purchased.

All returned medicines are collected by the health board and sent for safe destruction through incineration.

Unused medicine must not:

• be put in household rubbish 
• flushed down the toilet
• disposed of by other means at home (e.g. down the sink / burnt by fire) 

Some medicines require administration using needles which should be disposed of as sharps waste, in special waste containers. 

Please do not dispose of medicines in the household waste or down the toilet. Doing so means unused medicines can end up in landfill or in water supplies. This is damaging to the environment and wildlife. 

Read more about the environmental damage of medicine waste here.