Pharmacists have revealed that the amount of wasted medicines discarded in England in just one year could fill 75 swimming pools. The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) analysed data from local health bodies and found that approximately 3,400 tonnes of partially used medicines were thrown away during 2024-2025, costing the NHS an estimated £480 million annually.
NPA calls for action
Olivier Picard, chairman of the NPA, said: "Wasted medicines cost the NHS significant sums of money every year that could be invested in better services for patients." He emphasized that wasting medicines also has environmental and health consequences, adding: "As soon as a medicine leaves a pharmacy, even if it is not used and is unopened, it must be disposed of so it is important patients only get medicines they are sure they will use."
The NPA, which represents 6,000 independent community pharmacies in the UK, noted that some patients "over order" medication in case they need it, rather than requesting repeat prescriptions only when necessary. The association has called for more regular reviews for patients with multiple repeat prescriptions to identify medicines that are no longer needed.
Expert warnings
Dr Rasha Abdelsalam Elshenawy, senior lecturer in postgraduate medicine at the University of Hertfordshire, warned: "Medicines waste isn't only a financial and environmental problem – it's a patient safety and resistance problem. Leftover antibiotics kept at home are often taken later without medical advice, which fuels antimicrobial resistance, one of the biggest threats to modern medicine."
An NHS England spokesperson said: "The NHS has taken action to ensure people can better manage their prescriptions on their mobile phones through the NHS app including repeat prescriptions." They added that local NHS services are running campaigns to reduce medicines waste, and efforts to optimise medicines use have seen the total number of dependency-forming medications prescribed fall over the last decade.
This warning follows concerns that medicine shortages are posing a serious risk to patient safety, with common drugs like painkillers, antibiotics, and blood pressure medication in short supply.
