The amount of wasted medicines thrown away in England in one year could fill 75 swimming pools, a pharmacy group has stated. The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) estimated that 3,400 tonnes of partly used medicines were disposed of in England in 2024-25.
The organisation, which analysed data from regional health bodies, also estimated that this issue costs the NHS at least £480m annually. Olivier Picard, chair of the NPA, said that wasted medicines cost the NHS significant sums that could be invested in better patient services.
The NPA, representing 6,000 independent community pharmacies, has called for patients with several repeat prescriptions to have more regular reviews to identify medicines no longer needed. They also urged the public not to "over order" medicine.
Dr Rasha Abdelsalam Elshenawy, a senior lecturer at the University of Hertfordshire, noted that surplus medicines are not only a financial and environmental problem, but also a patient safety and resistance issue. She highlighted that leftover antibiotics taken without medical advice contribute to antimicrobial resistance.
An NHS England spokesperson said action has been taken to help people manage prescriptions, including repeat prescriptions, via the NHS app. They added that local NHS services are running campaigns to reduce medicines waste.