'Please don't over-order from your pharmacy'

One of the best things people can do for the NHS is not order too much medication, according to a pharmacist.

Figures released by the National Pharmacy Association show that medicine thrown away last year cost the NHS more than £480m.

Anthony Nwakunor, who is the director of a pharmacy in Hull, said dozens of prescriptions were being returned every week.

"It's quite disheartening. It's quite painful," he said.

Nwakunor, who runs Living Care Pharmacy on Anlaby Road, said one box of waste could be worth about £200, and on one occasion his pharmacy had five boxes of it to dispose of.

"As a pharmacy, we spent so much time getting this medication ready," he said.

"So it's not just the wastage, it's the manpower that is associated [with it]."

Once medication has been dispensed it cannot be put back into stock, and it has to be destroyed even if it is completely unused.

"The best gift you can give the NHS is to make sure you order only what you need," said Nwakunor.

"The medicines will always be there. The pharmacies will always be open to supply you when you need them."

He said he understood that people ordered too much medication because they were sometimes worried about shortages.

In February, Sie Ting, from Hessle Pharmacy, said he was seeing shortages of heart, blood pressure and cholesterol drugs, and staff were spending hours trying to source substitutes.

"I do understand their fears and their concerns," said Nwakunor.

"We will try as much as possible to source it when needed, or when it's not available we will try to source an alternative based on the GP's recommendation."

The NPA said wasting medicine was negative for the environment, as its production and disposal had a large carbon footprint.

It added that medicines should be disposed of only at pharmacies as incorrect disposal could risk them getting into the water supply.

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