Part of 2. 2. Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Well-being and Sport – in the Senedd at 3:04 pm on 7 December 2016.
Thank you, Cabinet Secretary, for that response. Can I highlight some work that’s going on in Cwm Taf Local Health Board at the moment, who’ve been running a campaign to promote public education and awareness of the effective use of prescription medicines over about the last 15 or 16 months? Since the health board started its campaign, support and advice has been given to more than 7,000 individual regular medicine users around clearing out old medicines, identifying, if any, which patients are not taking prescribed medicines, bringing medicines into hospital if admitted, and taking when on holiday. One impact of the campaign has been the return of unwanted medicines in a quantity that would fill three double-decker buses.
This may also highlight an issue around over-prescription, as well as patients not taking their medication, for whatever reasons there might be. Of course, the costs associated with that would also need to be addressed. But would the Cabinet Secretary join me in applauding this excellent campaign on the part of Cwm Taf university health board and encourage other health boards to consider similar initiatives?