Savings of up to £300,000 could be made if patients simply avoided ordering medicines they don’t need.

’If you don’t need it, don’t order it’ is the headline message of a new campaign being promoted by the Department of Health and Social Care aimed at reducing the amount of medicines ordered from the chemist by island patients, but left unused.

Savings could be used to fund improvements in the health service.

Pharmaceutical adviser at the DHSC Maria Bell is encouraging patients who have a list of items on repeat prescription, to check what they have at home first before re-ordering.

Unused medicines are often handed back to pharmacies but cannot be re-issued, even if returned unopened and still in date.

Ms Bell said: ’Many people worry that they won’t be able to re-order items if they don’t tick them on their list each month - but that’s not the case.

’Items won’t drop off the patient’s list, as "repeats"remain available unless they’re removed by a GP, after a review appointment. I fully understand some people need to take their medicines indefinitely, sometimes for life, and naturally wish to keep a supply to hand.

’This campaign is not about denying anyone anything - it’s about being practical and sensible.’

She added: ’We regularly see large stockpiles of unused meds handed to pharmacies for destruction. This costly wastage can be reduced if patients order only what they need - and this also avoids the risk of taking a medicine in the future, which is out of date.

’Unwanted medicines in the home are a risk to everyone.’

In 2017 items returned for disposal over a two week period were logged.

’Those medicines, thought to be only a fraction of the total people have stored at home, were valued at £12,000 - equivalent to over £300,000 over a year.