PHARMACISTS have warned how unused medication costs the NHS millions of pounds and poses a danger to children.

Chemists and Primary Care Trust chiefs have launched a campaign in a bid to stop people wasting prescription medicines - which costs the health service more than £2 million in Bolton every year.

Christine Tomlinson from the Nash Pharmacy in Castle Street, Bolton, said: "A focus of the campaign is to raise awareness of the dangers of having unused medicines lying around at home. This may be a significant danger, particularly if there are young children present.

"We're encouraging them to take unused medicines back to the pharmacy for safe disposal and have a chat with the pharmacist or their doctor about their medicine and how to use it more effectively. People should also remember they don't need to have everything on their prescription dispensed if they don't need it - because it won't affect their future medication."

In Bolton, wasted medication costs could be used to pay for 400 more hip replacements, 280 heart bypass operations, 2,800 more cataract operations, 60 more community nurses or 360 knee replacement operations.