THE health service in Waltham Forest is spending nearly £2million a year on wasted medication, health chiefs say.

NHS Waltham Forest has now launched a major campaign to help reduce waste and save money to pay for other services.

GPs and pharmacists have signed up to the campaign, which aims to tackle the problem of patients refilling prescriptions unnecessarily.

It is also aimed at highlighting the danger of keeping unused medicines at home, especially if young children are present.

People with repeat prescriptions will be reminded to order only what they need as medicines cannot be recycled after being dispensed and have to be thrown away.

Patients will also be encouraged to have regular reviews of the medicines they are taking.

Afzal Akram Chair NHS Waltham Forest said: “Unwanted drugs in the home may mean that patients are not getting the benefit they could be from their medicines.

“Medicines can't be used again and if we could save some of that money, we could reinvest it in other areas of healthcare to benefit the local community.”

Patients are also being encouraged to take medicines back to their pharmacy or GP for safe disposal.

The campaign, to run for six weeks, will try to discourage to stockpiling and remind patients to take prescription medicines with them if they go into hospital.

The Department of Health estimates up to 10 per cent of all prescribed drugs are wasted, at a cost of up to £800million.

Cash wasted in Waltham Forest could pay for 400 hip replacements, 280 heart bypass operations or fund salaries for 60 more community nurses.