If you are returning items with pharmacy labels attached please take care to destroy any patient identifiable information such as the patients name, as the pharmaceutical waste is transported elsewhere and we want your personal information to remain confidential at all times.

Disclaimer: Please be advised that you are responsible for removing any identifiable patient information from the packaging (eg. patient name, address etc) and the pharmacy is not responsible for ensuring  the destruction of patient identifiable information from returned medicines.

Please note we cannot dispose of any unwanted household chemicals or non-medicinal items. If you have any sharps or needles that you want us take off you then please do not bring them unless are provided with a proper sharps bin. Please click here for more info on our sharps disposal service.

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. You can take your waste medicines to any pharmacy.

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