Reducing Medicine Waste in Care Homes

There has recently been an increase in recorded waste relating to topical medicines, particularly within care home settings.

NHS Hampshire & Isle of Wight are asking Community Pharmacies to support patients and care home staff by providing clear advice on the appropriate use, storage, expiry, and disposal of topical medicines, in line with manufacturer recommendations.

For topical preparations (e.g. creams, ointments, gels, lotions):

• Expiry and in-use shelf life should follow the manufacturer’s instructions stated on the packaging or patient information leaflet.
• NICE guideline and CQC recommendation is to follow the manufacturer's instructions when determining the expiry and disposal of topical medicine.
• Products should not be routinely discarded earlier than recommended by the manufacturer.
• The link below is NHS HIOW recommendation on this to care homes (page 2) Guidance on application of topical medicines

Community pharmacy advice at the point of dispensing and during routine interactions with care homes can make a significant contribution to improving medicines management and reducing waste.