England discards enough unused medicine each year to fill 75 pools

The National Pharmacy Association estimated that 3,400 tonnes of partially used medicines were disposed of across England in the 2024-25 period, a quantity sufficient to fill 75 swimming pools and costing the NHS a minimum of £480 million each year. Olivier Picard, chair of the NPA, warned that the waste not only drains financial resources but also poses environmental and health risks, urging patients to order only medicines they will actually use.

The association, representing 6,000 independent community pharmacies, recommended regular reviews of repeat prescriptions and cautioned against over-ordering. Senior lecturer Rasha Abdelsalam Elshenawy noted that surplus antibiotics contribute to antimicrobial resistance, stressing the safety implications of unused drugs. NHS England said it is enhancing prescription management through its mobile app and supporting local campaigns aimed at reducing waste, while also noting a decade-long decline in dependency-forming medication prescriptions. Recent warnings about severe drug shortages, including for painkillers and hormone therapies, underscore the broader challenges facing the NHS medication supply chain.