PATIENTS at a doctors' practice have followed their GPs' call to clear out their medicine cabinets.

In an attempt to remove unwanted and frequently out-of-date pills and potions from circulation patients at a surgery in Brandon were asked to hand in disused medicines lying round their home.

Both the practice, Brandon Lane Surgery, and Durham and Chester-le-Street Primary Care Trust were delighted at the outcome.

Dr Cliff Khan said: "We've had a very good response from patients about the campaign.

"When patients returned medicines to us we arranged for some of them to have their medication reviewed, which included helping patients to understand their medicines, highlighting the safety risk of storing old medicines they no longer use, and helped us to find ways to make it easier for patients to get their repeat prescriptions."

Dr Khan said the campaign helped to raise awareness over the importance of not ordering too many medicines and only requesting the necessary quantity, the dangers of stockpiling out-of-date and unwanted medicines and the need for old prescription medicines to be disposed of safely by GP practices or pharmacies.

Durham and Chester-le-Street Primary Care Trust estimates about half of poisoning cases that occur in the home involve medicines, with the proportion increased among infants and toddlers.

It is estimated that more than £1m is wasted in the trust's area each year as a result of unwanted medicines being dispensed.

Many sit in cupboards going unused, while some are ordered "just in case", but never get used.

Steven Campbell, medicines management project manager for the trust, said: "The trust is delighted at the success of the Brandon Lane Surgery campaign.

"During the summer we will be building on the practice's achievements by developing a campaign concentrating on repeat prescriptions, waste issues and information for patients across Durham and Chester-le-Street."