PATIENTS are being asked to rid their homes of outdated medicines as part of a health campaign at a surgery.

Brandon Lane Surgery, near Durham, is asking its patients to bring back medicines and pills to the centre.

The Brandon Lane Surgery Dump Campaign is designed to encourage people to clear unwanted and outdated pills from their cupboards, so they can be disposed of safely.

Durham and Chester-le-Street Primary Care Trust estimates that more than £1m is wasted in the area each year as a result of unwanted medicines being dispensed and stored at patients' homes.

Many sit in cupboards, going out of date, or are ordered "just in case", but never get used, while the trust says others are ordered by patients out of fear they cannot get a supply next time. GPs prefer people only to order medicine which they really need.

Dr Cliff Khan, from the surgery, said: "We would like our patients to clear out their medicine cabinets and bring their old and out-of-date prescription medicines and over-the-counter remedies to the surgery during April.

"We can then arrange for them to be disposed of safely. Out-of-date and unused medicines can be dangerous, especially for elderly people or children."

The primary care trust says that half of all poisoning cases which occur at home involve medicines, and this proportion is increased in infants and toddlers.

As a result, the trust is to launch a district-wide review of repeat prescriptions and patient information.