Useful additional medicine information including traveling abroad and safe disposal

Disposal Of Unwanted Medicines

If you have unused/expired prescription medicines or medicines that you bought over the counter, just bring them to the pharmacy for a safe disposal. This is a free service available to the public. It is not safe to put unwanted/expired medicine in domestic bins.

Any medicine you return to the pharmacy cannot be used by the pharmacy again. It’s therefore very important that you don’t stockpile medication at home and only request medication that you need. Stockpiling is also dangerous as there is a possibility of mixing your new medicines with your old ones and it is also a safety risk to children and others who might take them. Every year over £300 million of NHS money is wasted by unused prescription medicines.

Each year, large quantities of unused and expired medications are dumped into bins or flushed down toilets and sinks. The effects on the environment and human health are unclear but the evidence is pointing to the presence of chemicals from prescriptions and over-the-counter medications in the soil, drinking water and the surrounding environment. It is very important that you return unwanted medicines to a local pharmacy for safe disposal.

Speak to a member of staff if you have any questions about the disposal of unwanted medicines.

Disposal of sharps boxes

Needles, syringes and other sharps should normally be returned to the pharmacy or hospital using the sharps bin they provided.

If you have a backlog of filled, sealed sharps bins that you cannot return to the pharmacy or hospital that provided them, the council may be able to accept them at the Works Services Unit at Hunters Lane.

You will need to arrange for your pharmacy, GP or hospital to provide a replacement sharps bin.

This policy outlines the procedure for patients travelling abroad for short and long periods of time.

NHS Policy

By law, the NHS ceases to have responsibility for the medical care of patients when they leave the UK. In addition, GPs are not required by their terms of service to provide prescriptions for the treatment of a condition that is not present and may arise while the patient is abroad.

The NHS does accept responsibility for supplying ongoing medication for temporary periods abroad of up to three months. However, if a person is going to be abroad for more than three months, then they are only entitled (at NHS expense) to a sufficient supply of regular medication to get to their destination, where they should then find an alternative supply of that medication.

Patients residing abroad for a period of more than three months should be removed from the registered patient list.

Westside Medical Centre Policy

Travelling out of the country for less than three months
For patients who inform us they will be out of the country for less than three months, we will provide sufficient medicines for an existing condition (e.g. asthma, diabetes…) for the period while the patient is away where it is safe to do so. Drugs that require frequent monitoring may not be prescribed where there are safety concerns. one month’s supply only will be issued for drugs normally available over the counter, such as paracetamol.

Travelling out of the country for more than three months
Patients who inform us they will be leaving the country for more than three months will be prescribed sufficient medication to enable them to make alternative arrangements at their destination (up to three months’ supply where safe to do so).

They will also be removed from our patient list. We will be pleased to re-register patients on their return to residence in the UK and can reassure patient that their electronic notes are kept on file for reference on your return.

Patients and relatives should not seek medication for themselves while they are abroad as this constitutes NHS fraud.

Prescriptions for medicines in case of illness while abroad.

GPs may provide private prescriptions if it is clinically appropriate, and they can be self-administered safely without medical assessment while abroad. These prescriptions are not free.

Patients should be aware that some drugs commonly prescribed in the UK may be illegal in certain countries and you should check with that countries embassy before you travel.

See NHS facts of travel abroad

http://www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/1755.aspx?CategoryID=73&SubCategoryID=105

https://www.wessexlmcs.com/patientstravellingabroadprescriptionsadvice

https://www.gov.uk/travelling-controlled-drugs