Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the trend in the level of pharmacies that refuse to accept expired medications for disposal.

The disposal of unwanted or expired medicines returned to the pharmacy by patients or carers is an essential pharmaceutical service funded through the Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework, and all community pharmacies in England delivering NHS services must provide this service. These returns are collected at regular intervals by a waste contractor commissioned by each integrated care board (ICB). Pharmacies that do not accept returns are in breach of their Terms of Service. ICBs are responsible for enforcing the Terms of Service of pharmacy contractors.