iPill scheme to save millions wasted on unused medicines

A NEW health service aimed at cutting the millions of pounds of taxpayers' money spent on wasted medicines has been launched.

Scottish health boards can lose millions of pounds a year on prescription drugs annually, often due to patients ordering more than they need.

Now a Scottish Government-backed scheme has been launched which harnesses the latest technology, and involves GPs and pharmacists sharing information about the medication of patients with long-term conditions such as asthma, diabetes and high blood pressure.

Patients are being encouraged to register with their pharmacist and their GP so the drugs they use can be monitored more closely to avoid medicines being wasted.

The "chronic medication service" also involves letting patients get repeat prescriptions for 24 or 48 weeks instead of the existing period, which is usually about a month.

Health chiefs hope pharmacists will then be able to check whether a medicine is helping a patient, freeing up more time at GP surgeries.

The service is restricted to 50 patients at each pharmacy until December, but will then be available to those with long-term conditions - an estimated two-thirds of all prescriptions.

The scheme was welcomed by NHS Grampian, which loses 9 million a year through wasted medicines. A spokeswoman from the health board said: "We welcome any initiative which helps patients with long-term conditions to manage their health better and helps reduce drug wastage.

"Community pharmacists are in an ideal position to provide care and advice to patients concerning their medication."

NHS Grampian said the 9m it spends annually on wasted medicines could pay for 1,800 more hip replacements, 1,260 additional heart by-pass operations, 12,600 extra cataract operations, 270 more community nurses and 1,620 extra knee replacements.

SNP Aberdeen North MSP Brian Adam, whose constituency is in the NHS Grampian area, also backed the new service.

He said: "This is an extremely sensible move and hopefully will help reduce the amount of money wasted on medicines."

Other health boards spending large amounts on wasted prescription drugs include Dumfries and Galloway, which loses 4m every year.

Health secretary Nicola Sturgeon promised the new scheme, which also aims to ensure patients receive the correct medication at the right time, would save taxpayer's cash.

She said: "The service will transform the role of pharmacists, making better use of their skills and expertise as they work alongside GPs to provide quality care for the millions of Scots who use pharmacies the most.

"As well as improving patient care, this service will help reduce drug wastage. In these tough financial times it is important to be as efficient as possible."

The Scottish Government said the scheme would be funded from existing health budgets.