It was launched at Alliance Pharmacy, based at Danetre Hospital, by the Northamptonshire Teaching Primary Care Trust.

Wasted medication costs the NHS in Northamptonshire more than £4 million ever year. The campaign runs throughout this month and next and money saved from wasted medicine will be used to for operations and staff.

GPs and pharmacists have joined forces for the campaign and one of their main concerns is medicines on repeat prescriptions which are ordered and collected by patients but are not needed because patients have stopped using the drugs.

The campaign also aims to raise awareness of the dangers of having unused medicines lying around at home in the presence of small children.

Rob Morris, chairman of the Northamptonshire Pharmaceutical Committee, said: “If anyone has any unused medicines at home we’re encouraging them to take them back to the pharmacy for safe disposal and have a chat with the pharmacist or prescribing GP about their medication and how to use their drugs more effectively.”