A PIONEERING new scheme to save thousands of pounds in wasted medicines at Steeton's Airedale Hospital was launched this week.

Pharmacists are to pilot an idea whereby patients are given their own lockable bedside medicine cabinets to keep their Drugs in.

The Friends of Airedale Hospital have invested around £3,000 in buying the special cabinets for three wards.

Pharmacist Helen Cook explained that patients coming into hospital with their own medicines often had them thrown away because there was nowhere safe to keep them.

These were then replaced with similar or identical drugs which were kept in the ward's drugs trolley.

Drugs were sometimes sent home with relatives, but replacements were also issued when patients left hospital, leaving them with two sets of medication.

"More than 90 per cent of patients who come into hospital already have medicines prescribed by their GPs," she said.

"We ask them to bring their drugs in so that the doctors can verify what they're taking, but we've had nowhere to store them.

"With this new system they can keep them secure and it cuts down on the amount of wasted medicines and so saves money.

"This will also improve the patient's familiarity and understanding of their medicines, reducing the risk of errors on returning home."

Three wards - one surgical, one medical and one elderly - are to take part in the new trial which started last week.

And if it is successful, it is hoped to introduce the scheme across the whole of the hospital by May.

"At the moment the nursing staff will keep the keys to the cabinets, but the idea is to give patients their own keys so they can self medicate," added Helen.

"Buying the cabinets is a lot cheaper than purchasing a drugs trolley for each ward, as they cost around £1,500 each."

Family doctors across Craven have been asked to inform patients about the new scheme to make sure they bring their medication into hospital.