Pharmacists Urge More Medication Reviews to Curb NHS Medicine Waste

The NHS in England wastes approximately £480 million in medicines every year, according to data reported by the Press Association. Pharmacists are now calling for an increase in structured medication reviews to reduce this financial loss and improve patient safety.

The scale of the waste is described as being enough to fill 75 swimming pools, according to a report cited by Medscape. This waste occurs when prescriptions are dispensed but never used by the patient, or when medications are no longer required but continue to be ordered.

Pharmacists argue that systematic reviews of patient prescriptions could identify unnecessary medications and prevent the over-prescription of drugs that are no longer beneficial to the patient.

Medication reviews typically involve a pharmacist and a patient discussing their current prescriptions to ensure the dosage is correct, the medicine is still necessary, and the patient is taking it as directed. These reviews can identify “polypharmacy,” where patients take multiple medications that may interact poorly or overlap in function.

Reducing medicine waste directly impacts the NHS budget, but pharmacists emphasize that the primary goal is patient health. Unnecessary medications increase the risk of adverse drug reactions and can lead to confusion, particularly in elderly populations.

The Press Association reports that the current level of waste represents a significant inefficiency in the healthcare supply chain. When medications are discarded, the loss includes not only the cost of the drug but also the administrative and logistical costs of prescribing and dispensing.

To curb these losses, pharmacy professionals are advocating for better integration between primary care physicians and community pharmacists. This collaboration would allow for more frequent audits of long-term prescriptions to ensure they remain clinically appropriate.