Reducing medication waste in Gloucestershire

How Resthaven’s pilot project is improving safety, saving resources and protecting the planet.

Resthaven – Pitchcombe, Stroud

When Zendrel “Zen” Moore, Deputy Home Manager at Resthaven, began noticing cupboards filling with unused medication, she saw more than clutter; she saw an opportunity to make care safer, smarter and more sustainable.

“It seemed like we were ordering ‘just in case’,” Zen recalls. “But small, simple changes can protect residents, save public money and even help the environment.”

That realisation led Resthaven to join a national pilot bringing together NHS pharmacists, GP practices and Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) to tackle avoidable medication waste in care homes.

The opportunity came when Drew Ennett-Saunders, Care Quality & Compliance Officer and Lead for Medication Governance at Lilian Faithfull Care, was approached by the ICB team’s support pharmacist to consider the charity for the trial alongside other partners such as Our Pharmacy at St Mark’s Cheltenham, who work closely with the Resthaven team. Drew, together with Suzanne Booker, Director of Care, reached out to Resthaven’s management team, and Home Manager Karen West, Deputy Manager Zendrel Moore and their colleagues enthusiastically took up the mantle to support the project.

Under Zen’s guidance, the Resthaven team introduced practical steps that made a big impact. They began with more frequent pharmacist reviews, moving from annual to six-monthly visits, and appointed a named clinical lead for all medicine orders.

The home also introduced daily and weekly stock checks, shared visibility of supplies between the home, GP and pharmacy, and refresher training for nurses to help them question whether a reorder was truly needed.

“It’s more tightly managed now,” Zen says. “We ask: do we already have this in stock? Do we really need it? That simple conversation with the pharmacist has made all the difference.”

The results soon followed: fewer wasted prescriptions, better oversight of medication cycles and stronger collaboration between clinical teams.

Following the project, Drew delivered a full feedback session to the Board of Trustees, sharing the outcomes and learnings from Resthaven’s work as an example of best practice across the group.

Drew Ennett-Saunders and Zendrel Moore

Beyond cost saving: a wider impact

For Zen, and Lilian Faithfull, this initiative is not just about efficiency; it is about values.

“This is about respect for our residents, for public funds and for the planet,” she explains. “If every home did this, the cumulative effect would be huge.”

Reducing unnecessary prescribing has benefits that reach far beyond the balance sheet. It helps prevent avoidable side effects, reduces pharmacy deliveries and minimises pharmaceutical waste entering the environment.

Why initiatives like this matter for the care sector

Medication waste is estimated to cost the NHS over £300 million each year. Projects like Resthaven’s show how care homes can play a crucial role in changing that.

• Resident safety: Regular medication reviews reduce risks and ensure prescriptions remain relevant.
• System efficiency: Every unnecessary repeat avoided eases pressure on GPs, pharmacies and the NHS.
• Environmental responsibility: Lower waste means fewer chemicals disposed of and reduced transport emissions.

Zen believes this type of shared approach is the future. “It’s not about big reforms,” she says. “It’s about the everyday decisions that add up.”

For other care providers looking to start similar initiatives, Zen offers five simple starting points:

• Appointing a named ordering-lead to oversee all repeat prescriptions.
• Involve pharmacists in admission and six-monthly reviews.
• Use shared stock-tracking systems where possible.
• Hold short, regular review meetings with pharmacies.
• Encourage staff to question and record whether repeats are genuinely needed.

“The more confident your team feels about asking questions, the less waste there will be,” Zen adds. “It’s a win for everyone.”

Final thoughts

What began as one manager’s observation has grown into a model of sustainable care. The project has improved safety, saved resources and shown that innovation in care does not always mean technology or new funding. Sometimes, it simply begins with the courage to ask, “Do we really need this?”

Resthaven Care Home

Resthaven Care Home offers 24 hour residential and nursing care set amidst some of the finest countryside in Gloucestershire with panoramic views over the Painswick Valley. Our beautiful countryside home benefits from nurse-led 24 hours a day care, so that every Resthaven resident can receive quality care and a “home for life” promise.