‘Only Order What You Need’ – help save another five double-decker buses of medicines this winter

Last winter, residents in Cheshire and Merseyside supported us to successfully reduce medicines waste in our region, saving approximately 60 tonnes of prescription medicines – the weight of five double-decker buses. 

We launched a campaign in November last year, asking patients to ‘only order what they need’ from their repeat prescriptions list, to help reduce stockpiling and waste of prescription medicines.  As a result, a total of 641,000 prescription medicine items were saved during a five-month period from November 2024 to March this year, which would have otherwise cost the NHS around £5 million. 

The campaign was viewed approximately 2 million times across the region – via online platforms, local radio, and on 200 local buses – and is being relaunched this November, with NHS leaders asking the public to ‘only order what you need’ to continue helping reduce medicines waste and stockpiling. 

Susanne Lynch MBE, Chief Pharmacist at NHS Cheshire and Merseyside, said:

To find out how you can help the NHS to reduce medicines waste, visit the ‘Only Order What You Need’ campaign page on the NHS Cheshire and Merseyside website: www.cheshireandmerseyside.nhs.uk/medicines-waste