Safe & Sound: Medicines Safety Month: Episode 1 - NICU Medicines Unplugged

In our first episode of 'Safe & Sound: Medicines Safety Month', we chat to Kirsty Robertson - Senior Specialist Pharmacist for NICU, and Heather Parsons - Ward Sister and Governance Lead for NICU, about medicines safety in NICU. Join us as we explore teeny tiny doses, patient and parent involvement in medicines, and druggles!

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Download a copy of this episodes transcript!

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• (00:00:00) - Podcast Introduction
• (00:00:32) - Podcast Conversation
• (00:20:50) - Final thoughts

Why Medicines Waste Matters – and What We Can Do About It

In this eye-opening episode, host Caroline Dalton from the Medication Information Team at Great Ormond Street Hospital sits down with Tracy Lyons, Medicines Sustainability Lead and co-founder of Pharmacy Declares. Together, they dive into the surprising truths and staggering statistics, behind medicines waste in the NHS — from the financial and environmental costs to the impact on our workforce.

Tracy shares powerful insights from a large-scale patient survey, revealing how we typically dispose of medicines and what that means for sustainability. This conversation is packed with practical ideas and inspiring reflections on how returning to first principles could help us reduce waste before it even begins.

Whether you're in healthcare, sustainability, or simply curious about how small changes can make a big difference — this episode is not to be missed.

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In this episode, Sarah Ahmed, GOSH Digital Fellow, hosts a dynamic conversation with Stephen Tomlin (Director of the Children’s Research and Innovation Centre and Medicines Sustainability Lead for North Central London ICB), alongside Stacey Moris and Nicola Moodey, Complex Asthma Clinical Nurse Specialists at Great Ormond Street Hospital.

Together, they explore the environmental impact of asthma care—balancing carbon footprints with
the challenge of non-recyclable plastics in inhalers. The team dives into the complexities of inhaler
swaps in paediatrics, and why patient-centred prescribing is key to both sustainability and safety.

Highlights include:
- Why switching inhalers isn’t always straightforward in children
- The importance of prescribing inhalers that patients can—and will—use
- A call to action: return unused medications to your pharmacy
- How asthma care can evolve to support both health outcomes and the planet

This episode is essential listening for clinicians, sustainability advocates, and anyone passionate
about greener, smarter healthcare.

Tune in now to discover how small changes in asthma care can make a big difference.

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