A campaign has been launched today by the Department of Health and Social Care, in partnership with the Island’s pharmacists, to reduce the amount of medicines wasted in the Isle of Man.
With the slogan “Don’t need it? Don’t order it.” the campaign aims to raise awareness about the cost of wasted medicines as well as educate the public about the potential risks of stockpiling medication.
Minister for Health and Social Care, Kate Beecroft MHK, was present to launch the campaign at Lloyds Pharmacy at Shoprite on Victoria Road:
“Last year in the Isle of Man, excluding Noble’s Hospital, 1.6 million prescription medications were funded by the health service at a cost over £16 million – a very significant sum of money which we want to ensure is spent wisely and only on what is needed. We estimate that as much as £300,000 a year of this is wasted, money that could be used to fund other vital health and social care services.
“We know a considerable amount of medicines are returned to pharmacies for disposal, many often unopened. These cannot be reused or recycled and have to be destroyed, which means the money spent on them has been completely wasted. The message today is clear: we want the public to ‘do their bit’ and think carefully about whether they need the medicines they order – if you don’t need it, don’t order it
“This is an important campaign, and fits with the first goal of our five year strategy which is to help everyone take greater responsibility for their own health. We have already introduced Patient Access, the online GP service which allows people to view their prescribed medications, order repeat medications and track whether they have been authorised, and today’s announcement is a further development.”
Approximately 90% of prescription medication that is dispensed in the Isle of Man is done so without a charge as many people are exempt such as children, those of state pension age and people with certain long term conditions. Those who do pay a fee are in fact only making a contribution of £3.85 towards the cost. The average price for a medicine is £12 per item, but the actual cost varies widely. For example, some inhalers can cost as much as £60 each and specialist drugs can cost hundreds of pounds each and every time they are prescribed and dispensed.
Safety is another important aspect of the campaign, as Joe McQuaid, Superintendent Pharmacist for Lloyds, explained:
“With the convenience of repeat prescriptions it’s easy for a person’s supply of medication to quickly build up, for example by reordering every item on a repeat prescription without checking if they’re all needed or perhaps worrying if an item isn’t ordered each time that it will be removed, which isn’t the case.
“Over-ordering and stockpiling increases the risk of medicines expiring before they are used which means people can end up taking medication that is no longer effective. By ordering only what you need and monitoring your medication at home, this risk is reduced.”
A set of useful tips and reminders for the public have been developed to support the campaign:
- Please check what medicines you still have at home before reordering – if you don’t need it, don’t order it
- You don’t have to tick all the boxes on your repeat prescription form, if you don’t reorder a particular item it’s OK, it remains on the list for you to reorder in the future
- Discuss your medication with your GP or pharmacist on a regular basis so that medications you no longer need can be removed from your repeat prescription
- Avoid stockpiling medication and always keep them in a safe place away from children and pets
- Always check the expiry date of you medication when opening a new box, vial etc.
- If you need to go into hospital, please remember to take all your medicines with you in a clearly marked bag
- Please also remember that your medicines are prescribed only for you; it’s not safe to share them with anyone else
- Please return any medications you no longer require to a pharmacy for safe disposal, free of charge.
The campaign will run in pharmacies across the Island with distinctive posters, leaflets, pull-up banners and stickers aimed at capturing the public’s attention.
