A GP practice in Somerset has saved £280,000 and significantly reduced environmental impact after introducing a major overhaul of how repeat prescriptions are managed. The initiative, led by Frome Medical Centre, has cut medicines waste, improved patient safety and reduced carbon emissions by encouraging more responsible prescribing and medication use.
Traditionally, many repeat prescriptions are issued automatically or requested by third parties such as pharmacies, often without patients actively confirming whether they still need the medication. This can lead to large quantities of unused medicines being dispensed and ultimately wasted. Recognising the scale of the issue, doctors at Frome Medical Centre reviewed their repeat prescribing processes and introduced new systems to ensure prescriptions are only issued when genuinely required.
As a result of the changes, the practice has reduced repeat prescriptions by around 22,000 items each year. This has generated financial savings of approximately £280,000 while also cutting unnecessary medicine production and disposal.
A key part of the change involved the use of “proxy access” through the NHS App. Frome Medical Centre became only the second GP practice in England to implement this feature. Proxy access allows carers, family members or trusted individuals to manage certain aspects of another patient’s healthcare through the NHS App. This includes ordering repeat prescriptions, booking appointments and viewing parts of the patient’s medical record.
Dr Neha Bhagi, a GP at the practice, explained that this system gives doctors greater oversight and control over repeat prescriptions. By allowing carers rather than pharmacies to request medication on behalf of patients, the practice has been able to improve scrutiny and ensure medicines are actually needed before they are issued.
The change has also highlighted important patient safety issues. For example, reviewing requests more carefully can reveal when patients may be overusing certain medications, such as inhalers. In these cases, clinicians can intervene earlier and speak directly with patients about why they are requesting more medication than expected. This helps ensure patients are using medicines safely and appropriately.
Alongside changes to prescription management, the practice has supported Somerset’s “Show Me Your Meds” campaign, which encourages patients to return unused medicines. The campaign aims to raise awareness of the scale of medicine waste and promote better medication management within the community.
The response has been significant. According to the practice, patients now return large quantities of unused medication every day, often filling a car boot with returned items. This demonstrates how much medicine previously went unused and highlights the importance of reviewing repeat prescribing systems.
The environmental impact of the initiative has also been substantial. By reducing unnecessary prescribing and medicine waste, the practice estimates it has prevented around 122 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions. This is equivalent to driving nearly 302,000 miles.
Frome Medical Centre worked closely with local pharmacies and patient participation groups to ensure the changes were implemented collaboratively. By engaging with patients and healthcare partners, the practice has been able to promote a culture in which medicines are requested only when they are needed and used appropriately.
The initiative shows how relatively simple changes to prescribing processes, supported by digital tools such as the NHS App, can deliver significant financial, environmental and patient safety benefits across primary care.