NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin has as we speak launched a brand new marketing campaign — ‘Assume Twice, Order Proper’ — to assist scale back the estimated £2.6 million value of medicines wasted unnecessarily throughout the realm yearly. Virtually 40% of this waste might be prevented – and everybody can play a component in altering that.
£2.6 million is equal to 61,900 GP appointments, 179 hip substitute operations, or over 98,000 working hours of a Neighborhood Pharmacist.
The marketing campaign urges individuals to examine what medicines they have already got at residence earlier than ordering their repeat prescriptions, and to solely request what they genuinely want. By doing so, we are able to stop medication shortages, scale back dangers at residence, and minimise environmental hurt.
Minesh Parbat, Chief Pharmacist for NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, mentioned:
“We’re launching ‘Assume Twice, Order Proper’ as a result of we’d like your assist to cut back medication waste, help protected affected person care, and safeguard NHS assets.
“Small actions, like checking your medicines earlier than ordering, can have a big impression. Ordering pointless medicines can contribute to shortages, create dangers at residence — particularly for kids and pets — and as soon as medicines have left the pharmacy, they’ll’t be reused or recycled.
“Thanks to everybody who’s already taking these steps to assist their group and NHS.”
Dr Lorna Clarson, GP and Chief Medical Officer for NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin added:
“Sufferers usually don’t realise that by ordering medicines they don’t want proper now can have an actual impression — from creating avoidable shortages to placing further pressure on NHS assets.
“The small step of checking what’s in your cabinet earlier than ordering makes a giant distinction. It helps us focus NHS time and funding on supporting sufferers who really want care, and ensures medicines are used safely and successfully.”
The marketing campaign asks individuals to:
- Verify their present medicines earlier than requesting extra
- Solely request what medicines they want, even when it seems on their repeat listing
- Converse to their pharmacy workforce if they’re not sure or need assistance
By ‘Considering Twice and Ordering Proper’, sufferers can be serving to to guard NHS assets, hold medicines accessible for individuals who want them, and forestall pointless environmental hurt.
Any unused or expired medicines might be returned to native pharmacies for protected disposal.
Discover out extra about our medicines waste marketing campaign, ‘Assume Twice, Order Proper’, at: ThinkTwiceOrderRight.co.uk
