Concern has been raised at the amount being spent on prescriptions and medicines across Dumfries and Galloway.
Members of Dumfries and Galloway Health and Social Care Partnership’s integration joint board (IJB) received a financial performance update at their latest meeting.
And it revealed that the GP prescribing budget is currently overspent by £700,000.
People are now being asked to check their prescriptions are up-to-date and at a suitable level to help cut costs.
Chairman of the board, Dee and Glenkens Councillor Andy McFarlane, said: “Medication is a significant expense. When you consider the cost of filling a prescription and multiply that by thousands of people each month, it places enormous pressure on costs – and all of these costs have to be met out of the local NHS budget.
“We’re asking people to review their medications. If you’re receiving medicines you no longer need, or if you’re getting more than necessary, speak to your pharmacist. A small action like this can make a big difference – and if everyone did it, the impact could be substantial.”
The financial plan aims for a financial gap of £20.079 million – which includes £20.875 million of savings during the current year.
Locum costs were also high, with £5.4 million spent across acute, women and children’s and mental health directorates.
The report stated: “Although costs are in part being offset by vacancies and the release of the centrally retained locum funding, there is still a significant overspend developing.”
“The NHS alone is tasked with finding £18.3 million in savings for the 2024/25 budget, on top of the very significant savings they’ve already made in recent years. The local authority is also grappling with tough decisions.”