Order What You Need – Medicine Waste Campaign

NHS West Yorkshire is urging people to only order the medicines they need as part of a region-wide campaign to reduce medicines waste and help ensure NHS resources are used where they’re needed most.

Each year, around £18 million worth of medicines are wasted across West Yorkshire. This not only puts a strain on vital NHS services but also contributes to environmental harm.

Why it matters

The ‘only order what you need’ campaign, launched on Monday 7 July, is designed to raise awareness of the impact of over-ordering prescription medicines. The campaign encourages people who receive repeat prescriptions – or those who order on their behalf, such as carers – to reflect on what they actually need before placing an order.

The key messages include:

• Highlighting the financial cost of medicines waste

• Raising awareness of the environmental impact – 25% of the NHS carbon footprint is linked to medicines

• Encouraging people to adopt self-management behaviours to reduce waste

• Educating patients on the small steps they can take to avoid over-ordering

When medicines are ordered unnecessarily, they can accumulate at home – this creates safety risks, increases the chance of shortages, and leads to significant waste. On top of the financial cost, unused medicines represent a missed opportunity to support patient care and carry a carbon footprint from their manufacture, packaging, and distribution.

How you can support the campaign

If you work in health and care, there are several ways you can get involved and help raise awareness:

• Share in bulletins and on websites – Suggested text is available on the campaign resources page

• Use the promotional materials to support conversations with patients and communities

• Share on social media – Posts are available via the West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership’s Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn accounts

• Signpost to the website: www.wypartnership.co.uk/orderwhatyouneed