Wasted or unwanted medicine costs the trust around £7 million every year and the aim of the campaign is to save money to pay for other services.

In Derbyshire, the £7 million could pay for:

* 1,400 more hip replacements or;

* 980 more heart bypass operations or;

* 9,800 more cataract operations or;

* 210 more community nurses or;

* 1,260 more knee replacements.

The campaign, which runs throughout May and into June, was launched last Thursday at Peak Pharmacy on Scarsdale Place, Buxton.

Steve Hulme, the PCT's assistant director of medicine management, said: "The key messages are really that you should only order what you need. You should have a good think about what medicine you don't take anymore, and there could be a few reasons for why you don't take it. It might have side effects, you might not feel its working any more or you could have problems getting the medicine out of the packet. Don't feel embarrassed to tell your doctor if you don't feel it is working.

"If you have a lot of unwanted medicine at home, it's not really safe, particularly if you've got young children or grandchildren." Anyone with unwanted medicines can return them to their local pharmacy or dispensing practice where they will be disposed of safely.

For more details of the campaign, visit www.medicinewaste-eastmidlands.com.