A CAMPAIGN is urging people to check their medicine cabinets for out-of-date medicines and pills.

Yesterday, Sedgefield Primary Care Trust (PCT) joined forces with pharmacists to launch an advertising campaign called Time for a Clean Sweep, that will be running throughout this month.

The campaign will encourage people to take potentially lethal out-of-date remedies back to their pharmacy to be disposed of.

Sedgefield PCT pharmacist Jane Laws said: "This campaign is part of the ongoing work of Sedgefield Primary Care Trust's medicines management programme, which aims to provide better services and information to patients.

"We estimate that each year thousands of pounds are wasted in Sedgefield borough as a result of unwanted medicines being dispensed and stored in patients' medicines cabinets.

"Many of these medicines sit in cupboards going out of date or are ordered 'just in case' but never get used.

"Out-of-date and unused medicines can also be dangerous, especially for elderly people or children.

"Many poisoning cases occurring in the home involve medicines and this proportion is increased in infants.

"Elderly people are also at more risk because they tend to have more medicines in their homes."

She added: "We want people to clear out their cabinets and take any old prescription medicines and over the counter remedies to a local pharmacy. The pharmacy will then dispose of them safely."

Adverts, featuring a sweeping brush clearing away out of date and unused medicines will be appearing in GP practices and pharmacies. Pharmacists will be giving leaflets to all their customers.

Time for a Clean Sweep adverts will also appear inside local buses and in the local free newspapers.