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To reduce greenhouse gas emissions from improperly disposed inhalers, patients are being encouraged to return their used or expired inhalers to designated community pharmacies. A community pharmacy initiative in NHS Lothian has resulted in an impressive 300 per cent surge in the number of inhalers returned to community pharmacies for sustainable disposal. The initiative involved placing stickers on dispensing bags, encouraging patients to bring back their used inhalers to the pharmacy. Between February and May 2024, five community pharmacies in and around Edinburgh participated in this sustainability project and provided data. The data showed a significant increase in inhaler returns, with 20 inhalers being returned in the two weeks before the stickers were introduced, compared to 80 in the two weeks after the project concluded-a 300 per cent increase over the 10-week period.

Scotland has become the world's first country to introduce a simple blood test for Type 1 diabetes patients, enabling them to stop taking insulin by improving the accuracy of diagnosis. The routine C-peptide test, introduced today (November 1), will allow doctors to know how much insulin someone with diabetes is making themselves. The roll-out of test follows a two-year pilot study in NHS Lothian led by diabetes and endocrinology consultant Professor Mark Strachan. Strachan said: "C-peptide helps diabetes specialists make a more accurate diagnosis of the cause of diabetes, and that means we can get people on the most appropriate treatment. In some instances, C-peptide testing allowed people to stop very long-standing insulin therapy; this can be life-transforming."