A CAMPAIGN has been launched to stop people wasting medicine unnecessarily.

The NHS in England spends an estimated £300 million a year on medicines that are never used or are partially used.

It is estimated that around half of the UK population do not take or use their medicines as prescribed.

In south Worcestershire alone, around £1.8 million is lost each year through medicines waste, money which could be used to fund new treatments, services or frontline staff.

One of the ways NHS South Worcestershire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) is looking to address the issue is with the 'only order what you need' campaign across Evesham, Broadway, Bredon and Inkberrow GP practices and community pharmacies.

This aims to promote three key messages - that wasted medicines waste money, people should return any unwanted medicines to a pharmacy for safe disposal and discuss medication with a GP or pharmacist on a regular basis.

Patients at Barn Close Surgery in Broadway and Bredon Hill Surgery, along with visitors to Morrison’s and Tesco in Evesham, had the opportunity to find out more about the campaign and the key messages, focusing on repeat prescription and only ordering the medicines that they need.

Posters and leaflets are displayed in pharmacies and GP practices to raise awareness of medicine waste among patients, the public and carers.

More information about the campaign can be found at medicinewaste.com