To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether there are circumstances under which unused prescription medicines returned by patients may be re-allocated to other patients; and if he will make a statement. (201246)

It is not appropriate to promote the reuse of medicines returned from patients. The continuing quality of medicines returned from patients following storage in their homes and the ability of pharmacists to assure quality based on physical inspection cannot be guaranteed. Recycling medicines returned by patients is both unethical and unsafe.