Wasted medicines cost the NHS at least £480million a year and could fill 75 Olympic-size swimming pools, an investigation by the National Pharmacy Association reveals. The organisation estimates that 3,400 tonnes worth of partially used medicines were disposed of in England in 2024/25, an amount equivalent to 560 African elephants or 3,000 cars.
The National Pharmacy Association analysed freedom of information responses from local health bodies to calculate the figure. Medicines must be disposed of in a specialist manner through pharmacies rather than in general waste, coming at a significant cost to the health service. Once a medicine is dispensed and handed out to a patient, even if it is unopened and its seal intact, it cannot be put back into stock when returned. Incorrect disposal also risks medicines entering the water supply and causes environmental hazards.
Environmental and health consequences
Pharmacies say patients often return half completed courses of antibiotics and may not be completing treatments prescribed to them, potentially risking their health.
"Wasted medicines cost the NHS significant sums of money every year that could be invested in better services for patients," said Olivier Picard, chairman of the National Pharmacy Association. "More than this, wasting medicines can have environmental and health consequences and we can do much more to tackle this growing problem. 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."
Mr Picard, who represents 6,000 independent community pharmacies, urged patients to take steps to avoid over-ordering. "We are urging patients only to request medicines if they really need them when ordering repeat prescriptions," he added. "As well as this, patients who are prescribed multiple medicines should have these more regularly reviewed to ensure they are being fully utilised. If a patient has any concerns about their medicines, they should speak to their pharmacist who can help them get the most out of their medicines."
Risks to patient safety and resistance
Dr Rasha Abdelsalam Elshenawy, senior lecturer in postgraduate medicine at the University of Hertfordshire, warned of broader dangers from leftover prescriptions. "Medicines waste isn’t only a financial and environmental problem, it’s a patient safety and resistance problem," Dr Elshenawy said. "Leftover antibiotics kept at home are often taken later without medical advice, which fuels antimicrobial resistance, one of the biggest threats to modern medicine. Regular medication reviews and only ordering what is needed protects patients, the NHS and the environment."
An NHS England spokesperson outlined steps already taken to manage prescriptions. "The NHS has taken action to ensure people can better manage their prescriptions on their mobile phones through the NHS app including repeat prescriptions," the spokesperson said. "We know there is more to do which is why several local NHS services are running campaigns to reduce medicines waste, alongside wider efforts to optimise medicines use that have also seen the total number of dependency forming medications prescribed fall over the last decade."
