Prescription medicine wastage can and must be tackled

This evening's Member's Business debate discussed Scottish Conservative MSP Margaret Mitchell's motion regarding prescription medicine wastage in Scotland.

Speaking in the debate MSP for Central Scotland Margaret Mitchell said:

"According to the Royal Pharmaceutical Society the cost of providing medicines is rising every year.

"Given this and with the advent of free prescription charges it is a matter of concern that, at a time when finances in the public sector are under pressure there apparently has, to date, been no attempt to quantify the cost of wastage in Scotland.

"It is important to stress that some prescription wastage is unavoidable. For example, a patient may recover before the course of medicine prescribed is completed or treatments can be changed by a doctor because they aren't working or they have adverse side-effects.

"However, there are various ways wastage can be reduced such as raising awareness about repeat prescription usage, encouraging people to think about their repeat prescriptions and to stop ordering items on a 'just in case basis'.

"Other methods include ensuring patients know how to take their medicines correctly and recognising that vulnerable groups may be unsure about how often or which medicine to take.

"Ultimately, there must be better communication between healthcare professionals, GPs, pharmacists and patients - thereby improving patient treatment and reducing waste.

"By providing pharmacies with time-saving technology and enabling pharmacists to have access to accurate up-to-date records, this will allow them to spend more time with patients, helping to address any problems with medication and ensuring that medicines are only dispensed in the quantities required, when they are needed.

"Furthermore, most people don't realise that even if they return unused medicines to their pharmacy, these medicines cannot be re-used and are destroyed. To this end I asked the Cabinet Secretary look at the possibility of adopting a recycling scheme similar to the French one, to help the people in Africa and other parts of the world where these medicines are desperately needed and where they could make such a massive difference."

Back to all posts