To find this stockpiling of medications really annoying?

[MindSweeper]

'This medicine was returned by a patient today. Once medicine has left a pharmacy it cannot be reused for safety reasons. All of the inhalers are full. The purple ones alone (all 42 of them) are worth £60 each. That is £2520 worth of medicines that the NHS could be using for something useful'

Medication wastage currently costs the NHS £300,000,000 per year.

It's shocking how much we have to waste in hospitals too, I see how much is destroyed and it makes me think how much good that could do for people in countries who don't have access to meds.

What solutions can you think of?

People are shifting the blame on pharmacists and doctors, but a lot of the time this stockpiling is people just not telling their doctors they're not taking medications, and still ticking the box to receive the med.

A lot of areas don't do the GF prescriptions anymore anyway and the problem with that is that the only decent flour is only available on prescription - you can't get it in the shops. Plus GF food is much more expensive than normal still.

I'm lucky in Finland as children with coeliac Disease get disability benefits to help with the extra cost so I get about 95 Euros a month for DD but that stops when she's an adult.

all supermarkets, online and in independent health food/vegan stores, they are competitive often have offers on etc I keep an eye on the free from aisles because of the allergies in our home - nuts, wheat and egg. Compared to brands GF are reasonably priced and often are on offer but the point I was making is GF foods are often a convenience food. That it is possible to have a good, varied and interesting diet without them. That they are not necessary to survive. You don't need biscuits and cakes and as far as I'm aware you can't get them on prescription anyway.

My local vegan shop sells GF breakfast cereals for £1.50 a box. That's cheaper than the same weight box of kellogs cornflakes. Its where I get my wheat free cereals from. They are all certified GF btw and often its a lot cheaper to buy a case - usually 6-8 boxes at a time, my local shop takes orders like this and gives you a discount for buying bulk. I don't bother with wheat free/GF free bread because its horrid. I've just adapted to using corn tortillas I make and freeze and have wraps instead of sandwiches. Thicker rolled tortilla dough make excellent thin crust pizza bases.

The only 'specialist' free from products we buy are GF pasta, the cereal above and a nut free, 'nut free factory' made chocolate spread and occasionally I will knock up a wheat free, nut free muesli. Its the one thing I really miss but that, that can cost a lot more than standard muesli because I have to seek out certified nut free pumpkin, sunflower seeds and dried fruits and can only get those online. Shipping ups the cost.

FWIW I am on a very tight budget, low income and manage to keep my diet varied and healthy without relying heavily on GF/wheat free products my shopping bill comes in around £40-£50/ week for food. Wheat is in almost everything, added to lots of foods as cheap filler and thickener and causes me no end of pain if I eat them so I do know what its like and how ill it can make you especially with needing to be egg and nut free as well.

Wow that is shocking..why on earth keep getting your prescriptions if you aren't taking them. I have a small stockpile of my pain meds that I keep for emergencies. Nowhere near that amount though. I found I have to have some 'spares' as the docs often won't give me a prescription without an appointment, and an appointment can take up to 3 weeks :S

Doves farm is the best flour I've found
Also their pasta...very good.
I refuse to buy gf oats...at three times the price of normal oats!

I can actually see how someone could end up with a pile of meds that don't get used. I'm a well-educated person with a reasonable memory and a fair amount of medical knowledge. But when I go to pick up my meds the pharmacist always asks me hurriedly to check what I need for next time, hands me the scrip full of tiny printing and long, similar drug names and I have to think pretty quickly what I need and what I don't, all while there's a long and grouchy queue behind me. I can see it would be quite easy for someone on a whole slew of meds, with confusing names, for a variety of problems, to get confused and just check 'all' to save time and embarrassment. And then get home and realise 'oh I didn't need the one in the blue box, next time I'll remember not to check it' - but then a month later the whole thing happens again.

I mean, that doesn't account for all the wastage, but an awful lot of people haven't ever really learned, or sometimes ever really been told, which medication is for which problem. It would probably be good to have more patient education around medications, that could include issues like hoarding and wastage, but that could also just help people know what they're taking and why. I know many GPs and pharmacists do try to do that, but given there are time constraints (and always a long queue!), it's no surprise that hurried discussions don't 'stick'.

very that doesn't sound like an efficient system -maybe that needs to looking at...
We can order repeat prescriptions online - as well as by phone (dedicated line - you leave a message) and at the surgery
Online -you check boxes next to the medication you need - there isn't an 'all' option. There is a box where you can request things - like when I asked for half my DDs prescription when I knew she was changing meds or for me asked for a month rather than 2 months - so I could sync with another regular medication...

By phone you have to say which medication you want...
In the surgery you are given a form to complete - you have to write what medicine you want ( I hate this most cos I always end up having to ask the reception to check my notes for eg what strength my X tablets are...)

I love the online one - I dose out my weeks medication on a Sun. If I don't have enough of something for the following week I go online and place the repeat request straight away (so no forgetting to go in on a Mon etc) . It takes 2-3 days - you can get it to go straight to the chemist - which I go past on a Thur/Fri every week -so I write in my diary to pick up meds...
I never run out and I never forget and I never order too many in advance...

unlucky we've just gotten online reordering, and I imagine it will make things much easier as you say. (It was pretty inefficient the old way!) But that also depends on the person being able to use the online system and being knowledgeable about what they have. And some of the people stockpiling aren't going to be comfortable using the online system or necessarily knowledgeable about their scrips, unfortunately. From what everyone has said above I think the system needs help from multiple directions, to deal with people who think they're 'owed' meds as well as people who just are confused. Maybe they should hire all of us from this thread as consultants to fix things

Well in about twenty years or so I expect most people will be able to handle the online system as the ones that would find it the hardest (the very elderly) would be dead or in nursing homes where their meds will be controlled by nurses.

Our online system is the same unlucky I renewed my meds on Friday - went online and checked the boxes of what I needed from the list, saw that my asthma prescription had gone old (can only renew prescriptions up to a year old, to stop people renewing old unneeded medicines) so a quick phone call to the health centre to explain and the doctor will be renewing them today. I'll get a text message when my medicines are renewed.

I have a "stockpile" of ventolin for Ds. He gets through lots of it and we have inhalers stored in about 5 places so always have a few spares to hand too.

I don't think it helps that it is so hard to get everything in line so all drugs needs a new prescription at the same time. Ds is on 12 different medications and I seem to be constantly ordering something! I always order early too as rarely a month goes by without the GP messing it up or I have to try multiple pharmacies to source the drugs!

Cornflakes are GF. They're fairly cheap. A family member has coeliac. They were diagnosed over 20yrs ago when there weren't a lot of GF products available (only those on prescription and they tasted awful).

IME, generally, as long as you read the ingredients, you don't really need to buy special food. A lot of normal food is GF, even if it isn't advertised as such. (Eg, Bisto Best Gravy in jars). The only food they buy specially is pasta and bread, although corn tortillas are GF.

You can eat good, homemade food along with everyone else. Meat, veg (including potatoes) and fruit are all GF; it's more the convenience and refined food (eg, pizza, biscuits, cake, bread, etc) that can't be eaten.

Most of these are no more expensive than normal branded products, although bread can be quite dear. Eg, branded flour costs between £1.50- £2.40 per Kilo and you can buy Doves Farm GF flour for £1.70. Even Aldi do some GF free products now, and they are tasty and reasonably priced compared to their own luxury/specially selected range.

For example, when they come to dinner, if I make a roast the only thing they can't have is the Yorkshire puds, as I make my own gravy (although they can have "bisto best" instant gravy in the jars). When I make a cake I substitute a combination of things such as: ground almonds, cornflour, extra eggs and even mashed potato for normal flour. They all work well, you just have to get the ratio right.

They also don't think coeliacs should get food on prescription. They manage very well without and their food bill isn't above average for the no. of ppl.

sirzy it might be worth talking to the admin staff at the GP to see if they can help you get it more in sync - more work for them now would mean less work for everyone (them, GP, you) in the long run. You would have to reduce prescription sizes rather than increase...as they can't prescribe more than the guideline max but can prescribe less - and you need to tell them why you want less...
And ime most pharmacists can order something to come in the next day or even later in the day... so you can drop the script with them and collect the next day.

To use the online order service you have to take proof of identity into the surgery and be given the password. This is not easy for everyone to supply. So no, not everyone will be able to order online in 20 years time.
And if you get confused, as some young people will get when they are elderly, you won't manage ordering online. More people will move to online, but it can never be the only way.

Late to the thread, but I meant to write to my MP - or do something at any rate - about the medication I found in the pil's house when I cleared it. The cost to the NHS must have been huge.

I removed - and I remember the exact number - 24 carrier bags of medicines, nearly all of which were unopened. The medicine was stuffed in cupboards, drawers, in display units - so any visitor would not have spotted it and been alerted to the situation.

When mil was admitted to a care home she had a thorough medical and was found to have a clean bill of health. She had been having asthma inhalers for years (hundreds of which were unused) but did not have asthma. There were yards of paracetamol tablets, statins, etc etc etc.

I had to travel round many chemists handing in the carrier bags after the first chemist expressed surprise and complained about the two carrier bags I had with me. I didn't dare fetch the other 22 in my boot!

It's been discussed before on MN, but people getting plasters, paracetamol, head lice treatment etc on prescription must stop. And prescribing drugs to elderly people willy nilly is lazy GPing.

Tried that unlucky but only the practise nurse is anywhere close to helpful.

Two of the drugs he has the local pharmacy refuse to dispense at all which is helpful!

Most corn tortillas aren't actually GF as they have a mix of flours.

brasty if you are getting repeats you must need to go into the surgery at some point to see a GP ...so you can ask for a password. As to ID why do you need it if you don't to order a repeat in person - or to pick up a repeat?
For DD1 (15) I filled in a form in the surgery to apply for her (she wasn't with me) and they posted her registration number to her registered address. Then sent a password to her email address. And her ADHD medication is 'controlled' - kept in a safe at the pharmacy and I need to sign an extra thing when I pick it up.
Only PIA thing was you can't use the same email for more than one patient account - even for a child/dependent - so I had to make a new email account for her - at the moment I still order her meds for her.
(She does have her own email (accounts) but is very good at changing and forgetting passwords etc for them - and then I have to help her to try to recover them...didn't want to risk that for this!)

sirzy that's a pain .... That is something else we could add to our ways to prevent this waste happening ideas when they ask us to sort it out for them

I have come to expect a battle to get the medicines now. Thankfully I am organised so don't end up with huge amounts of things but the systems locally certainly don't help! I can see how people do end up with lots of one drug or running out of things.

I am on 4 regular meds, I try and keep their renewal at the same time and generally now they are on a two month renewal cycle, I am lucky in that they don't change very often. I don't get free scripts and three of the meds are for the same condition as the treatment regime seems to be little of lots rather than alot of one thing. I get a regular prescriptions card which helps with costs. But I also wonder at people who have alot of prescriptions and also pay for them - it must be beggaring them.

Most corn tortillas aren't actually GF as they have a mix of flours.

I said I made them at home. I make tortillas in bulk and freeze. I use maize flour with a little potato starch and gram flour works well. I also use other naturally GF flours combined with maize flour and the cost is still cheaper than packaged GF tortilla wraps or bread. i paid £4 for the ingredients and get a good 3 weeks worth of wraps for that cost. the majority are certified GF. The potato starch isn't but that can be replaced with cooked mashed potato.

maize flour on its own makes an ace taco shell and crisps up nicely.

biscuitz72 yes, that's my friends experience too. Most coeliacs I know have an impressive repertoire of GF recipes esp for things like cakes and biscuits. Often its because the convenience products have so many additives they doubt they are good for them and don't want to eat a pastry/cake product designed to last 6+ mths on the shelf.

They point out the typical western diet is GF if you remove the crappy refined products we shouldn't be eating for health reasons anyway. GF sausages are the same price in my local co-op as the gluten version. Unless you are going super cheap which aren't actually meat anyway but mostly fat and filler.

I must admit GF convenience foods are ace if you need to eat on the go but most GF people are well adapted to life without it they think 'oh hey that's ace' buy them occasionally as a treat but continue on as before. For a long time I'd just walk past the sandwiches If I needed to eat lunch out and reached for fruit/veg, jelly/yogurt, juice and a bag of crisps. Sometimes I was lucky enough to be in a shop that sold sushi that was GF and I've yet to meet a 2-3yrs down the line coeliac who still eats the GF bread that is available. The majority use the GF pasta but that's about it.

When it comes to gluten free lunches japanese bento boxes are fab for inspiration for sandwichless lunchboxes. I managed to make rice interesting and different every single day for a month so that DC didn't get bored. Even though its only me who is wheat free DC eats a lot of meals I do because its cheaper to eat the same foods. I don't deprive DC I still allow the occasional doughnut or shop bought sandwich for them.

My mum makes the best GF bread but that was with the good prescription flour, now she has to buy the breads from the shops although some of them are fairly decent - over 30 years down the line and she still eats the GF bread that's available.

MrsDevere made a good point, drinks like Ensure... sent by the crate before people have even had chance to try them. I know loads of patients who have been prescribed them in hospital but then have said 'oh no we have loads at home and I dont like them'.

When my mum died, the community nurses were supposed to come and pick up her meds and the (shunt?). They never did. I took it all into the hospital months later; another close relative died soon after and I was at real 6s and 7s, no idea what I was doing most of the time) which was why it took me so long.

Dp gets all his medication from the pharmacy. The pharmacy give him bags and bags of stuff he hadn't ordered, once got 50 years supply of a something he hadn't actually ordered. All have to be handed back over the counter and get binned.

It is not just customers who waste stuff. Since our local pharmacy cut the hours of the pharmacist who had been their years it is staffed by people who haven't a clue. Dp is diabetic as well as having cancer and is constantly stressed over trying to get his medication. He was down to his last bit of insulin despite going into the pharmacy everyday for several weeks.

Actually when I bought a house from an elderly couple who had both moved into a care home. Their DC lived overseas - so had limited time and even though had had house clearers in they left a few things in the garage with an apology. Among them were various 'aids' including a zimmer frame -the frame had a this belongs to X dept at X hospital and a please call 'phone number' to arrange return - the daughter had phoned a couple of times and they kept saying they would collect them when they were in the area on such a day and not show...and they said they she couldn't take them in anywhere. I tried after a few months and got the same story - so I phoned the X dept directly - they would only take the frame but told me I could drop it off at reception any time...(I had to bin the rest of the stuff but it was things like grappers and a raised loo seat - still felt bad though...)