How our trust reduced carbon dioxide emissions equivalent to driving almost 7,000 miles in a month (15 April 2024)

Summary

Medicines waste is a significant problem in the NHS, with an estimated £300m wasted annually on unused or partially used medicines. In hospitals, this waste is added to when patients do not take their medicines home or when their medicines are not transferred with them as they change wards.

In this blog for The Pharmaceutical Journal, Claire Williams, deputy clinical pharmacy manager at Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust describes how her Trust reduced its medicines waste by moving patients’ medication with them and returning unused medication to the pharmacy in a timely manner. The Trust was participating in the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare ‘Green Team’ competition, and Claire and her colleagues saw it as an opportunity to showcase the impact that pharmacy can have in supporting the green agenda.

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