Wasted medicines cost the NHS £20m a year

Pharmacies will be encouraging people to only order the medicines they need as part of a new NHS initiative.

Wasted medicine costs the NHS South Central region £20m every year - the equivalent of 785 more nurses.

Woodlands Park Pharmacy, in Waltham Road, is one of the pharmacies that is supporting the new scheme.

NHS Berkshire medical director Dr David Buckle said: "Everyone involved in prescribing, dispensing or reviewing medicines needs to make sure that patients are involved in making decisions about their treatment and that more medicines are taken as recommended.

"We want patients on repeat prescriptions to think about what they are ordering and only ask for what they need and are running out of."

The campaign will encourage patients to have regular reviews of their medicines and to discuss any issues they may have with taking their medication with their GP or pharmacist.

Visit www.medicinewaste.com for details.