AQW 11521/22-27

Mr Danny Donnelly
Alliance Party
East Antrim

Tabled Date: 08/05/2024
Answered On Date: 22/05/2024
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Health, pursuant to AQW 10174/22-27, (i) how the estimation of £18 million annual cost for wasted medicines is calculated; (ii) how this compares to the cost of wasted medicines in (a) England; (b) Scotland; and (c) Wales; and (iii) what methods are used for the safe destruction of medicines returned to community pharmacies.

Answer:

The estimate of £18million annual cost for wasted medicines in Northern Ireland was calculated by extrapolation of figures for waste reported for England, in the York Health Economics Report, “Evaluation of the Scale, Causes and Costs of Waste Medicines”. This report concluded that the waste sum represents approximately £1 in every £25 spent on primary care and community pharmaceutical and allied products use. There is currently £450million expenditure on prescribed products in NI.

Regarding the cost of wasted medicines in:

England, this was reported as £300million in the report referred to above.

Scotland and c. Wales, it would be inappropriate to comment on the cost of medicines waste for Scotland or Wales without having firm evidence to base this upon.

The Department’s Strategic Planning and Performance Group manages the contract process to ensure the safe disposal of returned medicines. Clinical waste bins are provided to all community pharmacies and collected on a routine basis by a specialist waste management contractor.