Pharmacists speak out over unused medicines
Friday 20th February 2009
Pharmacists and other healthcare experts have spoken out against wasted medicines.
According to new figures, over £4 million of drugs go unused in Cambridgeshire every year.
This, medical workers say, could be used to pay for 500 heart bypasses or 750 hip replacements.
Sue Ashwell, chief pharmacist for Cambridgeshire NHS, claimed that the county's bill for medicines stood at £80 million last year and that, for every £20 spent, £1 was being wasted by "patients not asking themselves what they really need".
She said: "All we are asking people to do is take a couple of minutes to look in the back of the cupboard before going to the pharmacy and then tick only the relevant box on any repeat prescription."
Created initially as the Cambridgeshire Primary Care Trust, Cambridgeshire NHS serves a population of around 600,000 and runs a total of 91 pharmacies, as well as a range of other services.
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