NHS Surrey’s pharmacy team took to the streets in a vintage double decker bus on Friday, February 26, to drive home a message about wasted medicine.

The provider said the amount of medicine wasted in the UK every year was equivalent in weight to four double decker buses, costing the NHS £8m, and people should “think before they tick” when ordering a repeat prescription.

Charan Sira, lead primary care pharmacist at NHS Surrey, said: “The roadshow was a great opportunity to talk to people about unused medicines - and many people had no idea of the quantity which are being thrown away and the cost to their local NHS.

“It’s a very simple message of only ordering what you need and not stockpiling. You can always reorder if you need more. From a safety point of view it is not a good idea to have unwanted medicines lying around at home where they could be picked up by children or used incorrectly.

“Discarded medicines also have an impact on the environment so we would encourage patients to return unwanted medicines to local pharmacies or GP practices where they will be disposed of safely, rather than flushing them down the toilet.”