Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of trends in the level of prescription medication that is wasted.

NHS England has made data, tools, and resources available to integrated care boards (ICBs), primary care networks, and general practices following the 2021 overprescribing review. These include a National Medicines Optimisation Opportunity dashboard for ICBs, a Polypharmacy Comparators dashboard, an Oversupply Dashboard for general practice and primary care networks, and an Opioid Prescribing Comparators dashboard.

The overprescribing review set out a series of practical and cultural changes to ensure patients are receiving the most appropriate treatment for their needs, while ensuring clinicians’ time is well spent and taxpayer money is spent wisely. The recommendations aim to support National Health Service systems to highlight variation, identify opportunities for medicines optimisation improvement, and support ongoing monitoring.