Only order what you need.
Help us to reduce medicine waste – only order what you need.
A huge amount of medicine items are wasted in Greater Manchester every year. We need your help to reduce this.
Why is this important?
Stay Well.
Unused medicines expire and might not work as intended, meaning your health might suffer. Stockpiling medicines worsens drug shortages.
Stay Safe.
Stockpiles of medicines kept at home can be dangerous for children and pets. Medicines are only prescribed for you and for safety’s sake should not be shared with anyone else.
Stay Green.
When you dispose of medicines properly, by handing them in to your pharmacy, you are helping to make sure that waste medicines do not pollute our rivers, seas and soil.
Medicines account for around 25% of carbon emissions within the NHS in England.
Only ordering what you need means that you are helping the environment because once medicines have left the pharmacy, they cannot be recycled or used by anyone else.
Stay Organised.
Taking all of your prescription medicines with you if you are going into hospital means the hospital staff won’t have to order duplicate prescriptions.
This helps to avoid wasted medicines and money, and can speed up your care.
What can we do?
The good news is there is a lot we can do to tackle medicines waste, and everyone can play a part. Thank you for helping your community to reduce medicine waste.
Check what medicines you have at home before you order your repeat prescriptions. If you have enough, only request the medicines you need this time. You will still be able to order others again in future.
Speak to your pharmacy team if you have any questions about how to change your prescription request.
Always keep a list of your medicines, the doses, and how you take them in your wallet or purse, and if you know you’re going into hospital take all your medicines with you.
These actions mean that staff have a complete record of what you’re taking, that the hospital won’t need to dispense more of the same medication and can speed up your care.
When it’s time to go home take the right medicines with you. Before you leave ask if any changes have been made to your medicines and take home everything that’s still suitable.
Check your prescription bag before leaving the pharmacy to make sure that you only have what you need and that there’s nothing extra in there. If you return an item before you leave the pharmacy, the medicines can be reused.
Let your pharmacy team know if you’ve stopped taking any of your medicines or if they’re no longer right for you.
This is not a problem, and in fact, means your team will be able to improve your healthcare.
Unused or out of date medicines can be returned to your pharmacy for safe disposal.