Did you know it is estimated that an incredible £1million is lost each year across the Vale of York through medicines waste alone? 

It is essential that we get the very best value from the money we are allocated to spend on healthcare for the local population. The cost of unused, over-ordered medicines could be used to fund services for people in our community who really need them.

In addition to medicines that are wasted, each year it costs the Vale of York more than £500,000 to prescribe paracetamol. It costs the NHS around four times more to provide paracetamol on prescription compared to the cost for the public to buy themselves from a shop or pharmacy.

The same can be said for prescriptions for medicines to treat many minor ailments which also cost the NHS four times more that it does for patients to buy themselves in a pharmacy or supermarket.

Patients and the public are being asked to only request a prescription for medicines to treat minor ailments if they really, really have to.

Additional Resources

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