please return ANY un-used medicines back to the Pharmacy

grannysyb

DH was in hospital recently, and they sent him home with another lot of his regular medication, so we're now a month ahead. We also have four more bottles of oramorph! Does anyone know what I can do with unopened packs of complan type foods?

Offer the complan on Facebook or take to a foodbank?

There used to be a way of reusing unopened strips and in-date medications. They were sent to underdeveloped countries. Brilliant. But then, from what I understood, the EU stepped in and banned the practice or put in so much red tape that the GPs (who were organising it) could no longer cope with the bureaucracy. Brilliant.

Why would 'underdeveloped countries' accept out of date medicines we wouldn't take ourselves? Why is this 'brilliant?'

Not out of date keeping quiet.
according to dalrymple23 still in date.

Grow stuff for me it’s not a case of me stockpiling on purpose I have two illnessses where I have to have bloods taken every month of my life and depending if my imflammation levels are changing I get my meds and doses changed quite often so you end up having excess meds through no fault of your own

HeavenLeigh

Grow stuff for me it’s not a case of me stockpiling on purpose I have two illnessses where I have to have bloods taken every month of my life and depending if my imflammation levels are changing I get my meds and doses changed quite often so you end up having excess meds through no fault of your own

But more than a month of supplies? Sorry, I don't understand, especially as you have monthly blood tests.

Mt61

Aveline

We don't 'stockpile' meds. eg I was discharged from hospital three times with strong painkillers which I didnt take.
DH was prescribed a new meds which didnt agree with him so the GP told him to stop taking them etc etc. It happens

You may not stock but I have seen it in my last job, pain killers, gaviscon, creams & pads- could have opened a pharmacy

These are the people I wonder about - not people who have a half packet of unused meds.

I nearly always have a month's supply of my medications, partly because it's sometimes difficult to pick them up from the pharmacy and there are two which sometimes seem to be in short supply. I'm prescribed painkillers, which I don't always need, so don't take. Every few months I don't order them, so I never have more than a month.

We always return unused meds, including those bought over the counter. I regularly go through everything to make sure still in date.

dragonfly46

I wonder how the pharmacists dispose of the medicines.

They should send anything that has not been opened to Doctors without borders or similiar charities. Some charities will accept opened boxes of pills too.

Anything else should be sent to be destroyed as toxic chemical waste.

So it’s not always black and white I know of loads of people with excess tabs through no fault of their own it’s just the way it is

I live in Wales where all prescriptions are free so are not ‘valued’. A family member worked in a pharmacy where people would bring in huge amounts of unused medications for destruction. When it was pointed out they didn’t have to have everything on repeat if it wasn’t needed they weren’t interested and just carried on throwing it away. I have regular medications but would rather pay for a season ticket and the money saved go into the struggling NHS

Excuse me growsstuff I take offence at that comment are you calling me a liar I have two rare illnesses blood tests every month of my life and very often after the first lot of blood tests my levels go up so much that I flare hence my consultant changes my meds to dif level do not judge on something you know nothing about!!!!!!

I am given 3 months meds at a time. Reason being my meds are sometimes very hard to get hold of!

My DH died recently at home after much support from District Nurses and other professionals. Many meds including controlled drugs were accepted by local pharmacy for destruction. However the many unused dressing packs ( unopened and sealed were not accepted. I was told to put them in the general waste bin! Unbelievable!

I’ve got some unopened boxes of tablets at home which Ikeep forgetting to take back to the pharmacy. One medication has been changed by the GP bit as I get two months prescription at a time I had a months supply now unused. Really must try to remember

Good grief. I can’t believe people still do this 🤦‍♀️

I wonder if the charities who drive supplies to Ukraine would accept the dressings Kathmaggie. And any unopened packs or strips of painkillers etc. I am sure our local university ran such a scheme a year or so ago. Much publicised locally. And they did ask for bandages etc.

My granddaughter has a specific medication that cannot just be returned to the pharmacy.

I expect some people are frightened that their medication will not always be available. This is scary when their life depends on them. Switching medications is complex, not without risks and not always possible for medical reasons.
For example: www.theguardian.com/society/article/2024/jun/16/almost-half-uk-adults-struggling-prescription-drugs-medicine-shortages
www.diabetes.org.uk/about-us/news-and-views/our-response-serious-supply-issues-drugs-people-living-type-2-diabetes

Insulin pens & inhalers can all be recycled at pharmacies / surgeries / hospitals.

RosiesMaw2

^Remember the three "P's"^
No to Pee, poo,and paper

What do you recommend?

I’m devastated by this advice! Where am I meant to put the 3 Ps, then?

This is a really important topic - and also frustrating. We now have a box full of old medicines etc built up over about 8 years. Because the pharmacy often refuse to take them! Managed to get rid of a few at Boots where they reluctantly took about 3 packets. They make it hard work. I am not chucking them in the normal bin or flushing them down the loo - so the box just gets fuller!

There really should be a proper drugs dumping centre somewhere!

We took surplus drugs of any sort when we could go to Myanmar. This was through Pandaw who had clinics where drugs were very precious. Presumably they gave them to people who had nothing. I remember seeing families camping out in front of the hospitals. DH has a 3 month repeat scrip and the gp often alters the drugs. We don’t deliberately stockpile.

An article on ITV West Thursday 5th September reporting the medicines entering the rivers and stream on Dartmoor and Exmoor.
Please don't give up on taking unused medicines to the Pharmacy,if they make up some excuse,go somewhere else and report that Pharmacy that refused you to the NHS.

You need to take all name details of the boxes/bottles before you hand then in though.