PATIENTS are being encouraged to only order the prescribed medication they need to avoid waste.

NHS Scarborough and Ryedale Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) is making the appeal after a survey has found returned medicine to a typical Scarborough pharmacy can add up to around £400 a week.

Medication that’s returned to a pharmacy has to be destroyed. It cannot be given to another patient, even if that medication is unopened.

As well as the cost of the drugs themselves, there are other costs to the NHS, including GP practice prescribing time, the pharmacist’s time in the dispensing process and the costs associated with disposal. There are 26 pharmacies in the area covered by the CCG.

Wasted medicines could be sapping hundreds of thousands of pounds every year from the local NHS budget – money that could be spent on other local health services. Dr Greg Black said: “Many residents have a repeat prescription – but we would like patients to only order medicine when it’s needed, when they have between 10 and 14 days of medicine left.”