Back
  • Share

Medicines Waste in Care Homes – Reducing Social and Environmental Impact

Clinical impacts and solutions | Pollution, environmental and human health

Greener Practice
Greener Practice

Nuala Hampson will present a summary of the project and its key outcomes. Resources will be shared, including a free educational screencast to support staff in care homes, primary care and community pharmacies to take action.

  • Date (DD-MM-YYYY)

    04-03-2026

  • Time (GMT/BST)

    19:30 - 20:30

  • Cost

    Free

  • Education type

    Virtual

  • CPD subtype

    Scheduled

Description

Nuala Hampson will demonstrate The Medicines Waste in Care Homes Project.

Care homes dispose of £50 million worth of unused medicines every year, but the impact of medicines waste goes far beyond financial loss.

The Medicines Waste in Care Homes Project, led by CSH and funded through The Q Community by The Health Foundation and NHS England, used the SusQI approach to explore environmental and social costs of medicines waste – and to develop practical, innovative solutions.

It found that per care home, medicines waste was responsible for:

👣 Carbon footprint: 3.2 tCO₂e – equivalent to driving 9,425 petrol-car miles or 335 GP appointments

💷 Financial loss: £2,125 to £9,404, equivalent to £125 per bed every year

👩‍⚕️ Staff time: 155 hours spent on disposal

Contact details