Shock as seven black bin bags of drugs wasted

The woman, who wished to remain anonymous, claims that the relative of a recently deceased man arrived with seven huge bin bags filled with medication that the man had not used, some having gone out of date in 2012.

The overwhelmed staff member says the main items were prescription only medication (total cost £11,090), some of which included 13 boxes of codeine 30mg tablets, boxes of gliclazide 80mg tablets, and boxes of propranolol 40mg tablets, as well as Schedule 2 Controlled Drugs.

She claims: “Receiving seven black bags full was eye watering. At a time when the NHS is undergoing a lot of problems, you just wonder whether it is because things like this are happening.

“I don’t know how to get it across to the public – please do check your supplies at home. There was no explanation given when the man’s brother-in-law arrived. He just dumped the bags here – that was that.”

The upset pharmacist explained that none of the medication is reusable, the hardworking team spending two days destroying the drugs.

The controlled drugs had to be eradicated using destruction kits, the team needing at least 10 large kits at £12 each.

The other medication was incinerated.

The pharmacist claims: “It costs the NHS £150 per yellow bag in order to destroy them and I have used eight yellow bags totalling £1,200.

“Everybody here felt shocked and disgusted when the medication arrived and the doctors were feeling sick just seeing it all.”

The pharmacist says they have contacted their Clinical Commissioning Group are investigating.