All Wales clean up supported by Cardiff Blues and Wales rugby player Josh Navidi
Do you keep tablets, creams and medicines ‘just in case?’ Do you have a cabinet full of out of date medicines? April 1st launches a Wales-wide initiative to spring clean your medicines cabinet.
NHS Wales and the all-Wales ‘Your Medicines, Your Health’ team are asking you to take a look in your medicines cupboard and clear out all old, unwanted or unused items and return them to your local pharmacy where they can be disposed of properly and safely.
Martin Davies, strategy lead, says: “There is a temptation to store tablets, creams and other medicines that we don’t use in case we need them in the future, but over time they become ineffective and sometimes dangerous.
“The aim of Your Medicines, Your Health campaign is to encourage the effective use and safe storage of medicines, the main message being ‘Take them if you can, tell us if you can’t’, along with five other key points to ask yourself. Do you know what you’re taking? Do you know how to take it? Are you taking it? Take it back if you’re not taking it, don’t stockpile and talk to your GP or pharmacist if you need help”.
Josh Navidi, Cardiff Blues and Wales rugby player supports the campaign. Josh said: “I’m supporting the All Wales Your Medicines, Your Health campaign as I feel it’s an important message that the community need to be aware of. The aim of the campaign is to raise awareness to people that if they have been prescribed medication by their doctor then they should take it as prescribed. If they can’t take it for whatever the reason they should see there GP or pharmacist as not taking it can make them very unwell.
“In addition to this the spring clean your medicines cupboard part of the campaign is an excellent idea. This gives people the opportunity to clean out their medicines cupboard and start afresh. Stockpiling is dangerous to the family as someone could take medication that isn’t meant for them, which could be very dangerous.”
As part of the campaign to keep people safe and take their medicines properly the Health Board are asking you to join the rest of the community in spring cleaning your medicines cupboard. You can pick up a bio-degradable ‘spring clean’ bag from your local pharmacy, fill it with your unwanted or unused medicines and return them to your pharmacy where they will be disposed of safely.
For more information visit us on twitter @WalesYMYH or cwmtaf.wales
