Members of the public across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland are being asked to return unused and unwanted medicines to pharmacies in a medicines amnesty.

The aim is to reduce the chances of overdoses and ensure the drugs are disposed of safely.

The campaign is being backed by health leaders, local authorities and the police.

Mat Williams is the suicide prevention lead for Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust. He said: “Nationally 22% of all suicides are completed by overdoses. It is the second most common method of a person ending their life”.

“In 2023 there were 28 suicides in Leicester, Leicestershire or Rutland due to overdoses, and many other people will have caused themselves significant harm through overdoses which did not prove to be fatal.

“There are also risks of accidental overdoses for children, people who may be confused, or people who are impulsive or temporarily distressed.

“The risks of these events occurring is greatly reduced if no-one has a surplus of medicines at home.”

Rajshri Owen is chief officer for Community Pharmacies Leicestershire and Rutland, which oversees more than 200 community pharmacies.

She said: “Community pharmacies are at the heart of patient safety. The Medicines Amnesty campaign helps ensure unused medicines are disposed of safely, reducing risk and supporting healthier communities across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.”

Mr Williams said there were other reasons for returning unused medicines. Ones which are past their use-by date could be ineffective, so using them may not bring the benefits prescribers had hope for. Others will no longer be appropriate as a patient’s condition changes.

He added: “You should only ever be using medicine which is prescribed for your current condition.”

Families, friends and carers are being asked to help patients return medicines where appropriate. We are also keen that medicines prescribed for people who have since died are given back.

The amnesty campaign runs throughout March 2026. This year’s project will include an evaluation of the uptake for guiding future projects.