...or what, to be more precise. Drumroll please, because we've restarted blister pack recycling at the Old School Medical Practice!
Through generous funding from Copmanthorpe & Askham Richard Parish Councils, we now have a box back in our foyer. Local residents and patients can once again bring their empty blister strips to be repurposed into new aluminium products and storm boards, over at the local Hull-based plant 'My Group'. Read more about their recycling and circular processes here, and you can see the children's table and chairs that were made using recycling blister packs, last year, over at Acomb Garth Community Care Centre.
As before, it's vital people check the strips are completely empty, as any tablets/capsules you don't want or are out-of-date need to be taken to a pharmacy (any pharmacy) or GP dispensary for special disposal, in a way that means the contents don't leach into the soil or waterways.
Our boxes are also not suitable for empty inhalers, bottles, spacers, sprays, leaflets, foil inhaler packets, boxes, and bags. We've even added a small slit on the lid to try to prevent these items sneaking in, and hope that patients will want to re-use the bags they've used to contain their empties, anyway.
And as always, if you're struggling to take your medication because of side effects or concerns, please speak to your Pharmacist or GP Surgery. We are doing our utmost to reduce wasted medicines and stockpiling, to avoid shortages of essential medicines. Help us by only ordering what you need, and checking your prescription bag prior to leaving the pharmacy or dispensary; you may find you ordered something you now no longer take, or the dose has since changed, or someone else very kindly put in the order for you and asked for "everything" even though there is still enough at home. You can also ask your pharmacy or dispensary if they are running a ''bring your own prescription bag' re-use scheme, as we are doing at OSMP.
Ideas are always welcome on how we can further reduce our carbon footprint and save money that can be put straight back into patient care.