Medicines wasted in the borough of Barnet are costing the NHS £500,000 every year, according to Barnet Primary Care Trust (PCT).

The lost cash could pay for 100 hip replacements, 70 heart by-pass operations, 700 cataract operations or 90 knee replacements.

Health chiefs managing the £50-million annual drug budget this week launched a campaign alongside GPs, pharmacists and hospitals to get patients to stop the trend.

Colin Daff, Barnet PCT’s pharmaceutical advisor, said: “The central aim of this initiative is to get the most from the PCT’s primary care drug budget.

“Increasing awareness of this issue will help to achieve a significant reduction in this huge waste of unused medicines and free up much-needed resources for local NHS services.”

Posters and leaflets will be distributed throughout the borough, in particular to GP surgeries and pharmacists, urging patients to let their GP know when they have stopped taking medicine and to check what medicine they have at home before re-ordering.

Mr Daff added: “Patients will be encouraged to bring any unused medicines to the pharmacy for safe disposal as unused medicines in the home are a significant safety risk for children and others who might take them.”