Health / Return your unwanted medication
PEOPLE are being invited to bring along unused medication to Lerwick Health Centre next week so that it can be disposed of responsibly.
The initiative, which has been dubbed as Shetland’s “first official medication amnesty”, will take place at the health centre between 17 and 21 February from 9am to 5pm.
The team will also be in the Gilbert Bain Hospital outpatients department on Saturday February 22 from 10am until midday.
NHS Shetland said people are invited to bring along unwanted or out of date medicine for destruction in a “supportive and non-judgemental environment”.
The drugs will not be re-used, and the health board said there would be no “repercussions” for people returning medication they never used.
NHS Shetland specialist pharmacy technician Keiran Groat said: “Hoarding medicines which are out of date or no longer required can lead to people becoming unwell due to mistakes or taking medicines which are expired.
“We are encouraging the public to look in their cupboards and bring along any medicines they no longer use or which are out of date.”
Medicines that belonged to a relative can also be handed in for disposal provided they had given their permission to do this.
“We may ask the reason for the medicines being returned but this is so that we get a better understanding of why medicine supplies may build up. No other details will be needed, you are free to engage with us as much or as little as you like,” Groat added.
The Walls Health Centre, meanwhile, encouraged people this week to return out of date or unwanted medicine there “at any time”.
The British Medical Association said that pharmacies are obliged to accept unwanted medicines back from patients.
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