MEMBERS of the Holsworthy Medical Centre Patients' Participation Group have been given advice on how patients can reduce the number of wasted medicines, writes Christine Williams.

The Northern, Eastern and Western Devon Clinical Commissioning Group (NEW Devon CCG) last month announced figures that showed in Devon as much as £5.5-million, enough to pay for 730 heart bypass operations or 1,000 hip replacements, is lost each year on unused medicines.

At a meeting last week, members of Holsworthy Medical Centre Patients' Participation Group were told by Richard Croker, prescribing lead from NEW Devon CCG, that medicine and drugs prescribed for the Holsworthy practice's 10,000 patients cost £1.8-million per year or £7,000 each working day.

With the NEW Devon CCG facing financial difficulties and with 50% of patients not taking their medicine correctly it was vital, he said, for patients, practices and pharmacies to do all they could to reduce waste.

For the full report, and a round-up of the area news and sport, see this week's edition of the Post.