Wasted or unused medicine is a serious and growing problem within the NHS that you can help tackle.
Medicines that are requested on prescriptions but then not used are sometimes referred to as Medicines Waste. Nationally, for every £25 spent on prescription medication, £1 is wasted.
The NHS pays for every medicine it dispenses, there is no such thing as a free prescription, and if it is not needed by the patient the NHS also pays for the medicines to be disposed of.
By talking and listening to the local community, GPs, pharmacies and other healthcare professionals it’s clear how important it is that we tackle the issue of medicine waste, particularly at a time when locally and nationally the NHS system is facing major challenges to meet the demand for services within available resources.
Reducing medicines waste is important to us, but it is not something we can do alone.
We need your help to work together to stop medicines waste across the area, reduce the spend, and get more from your local NHS.
We want to raise awareness amongst the public and need to get residents in South East London to:
If your GP prescribes medication to treat a condition, it’s important to take it in exactly the way that it’s been prescribed to receive the most benefit.
If you stop taking your medication – or if you stop taking it in the way your doctor prescribed – please tell your doctor about this. They’ll help you to make an informed choice about your medication and may be able to prescribe an alternative.
Cold weather can make some health problems worse and even lead to serious complications, especially if you’re 65 or older, or if you have a long-term health condition.
As of 1st October 2025, the NHS @Home Service in Lewisham will be delivered by Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust (LGT). This follows a recent review of the service and rigorous procurement process which saw LGT chosen as the best provider to further develop this offer. Staff at LGT and system partners including, Dr Joanna […]
Residents in Lewisham are invited to a free community event to learn more about high blood pressure – what it means, how to measure it and what you can do to keep it under control. The Understanding High Blood Pressure event takes place on Wednesday 22 October 2025, from 9:30am to 1:30pm at Studio 2, […]
The South East London Integrated Care Board (SEL ICB) has approved the appointment of Greenwich’s neighbourhood integrator. With Greenwich now confirmed, all six of SEL ICB’s boroughs have now appointed their integrators, completing the borough-level infrastructure needed to support neighbourhood working in south east London. This marks a significant step in south east London’s delivery […]