PenCycle
The Pencycle service is currently only available in Stoke-on-Trent.
Following a successful pilot across Leicestershire & Rutland, PenCycle, Novo Nordisk’s recycling initiative for pre-filled injection pens went national in September 2022 and is now available across the UK. During the pilot, a total of 12,000 used pens were returned for recycling. 3,800 pens came back from Leicestershire & Rutland alone with the support from LLR LPC. More information can be found here
PenCycle will not only help reduce waste and advance the sustainability agenda of community pharmacy, but it will also be supporting the transition of the UK health sector towards a greener future. To understand the NHS’s ideas and commitments with regard to becoming greener please follow this link
Community Pharmacy Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent have allocated funds during 2022 and early 2023 to this pen re-cycling project where the pharmacy sign-up to the service and actively promotes the service to patients. The pharmacy should also display the re-cycling bin in the pharmacy in order to receive their payment. PenCycle is completely free of charge, including all relevant materials needed to facilitate the recycling scheme. Please see below for a number of links and guides to the scheme.
To learn more about the whole scheme from Novo Nordisk click here. Click on the box ‘I am a UK healthcare provider’
Sign-up
There are currently no funds available for new sign-ups to the service. For further information on the service and to be notified of any future funding, please contact taniacork@cpstaffsstoke.org.uk
For more information on how to join the scheme and to sign up please visit How I can PenCycle? or download this leaflet that will give you a step-by-step guide of the process.
- Here you will find a short video (~3min) explaining the recycling initiative and the process once a pharmacy is signed up. The process is also outlined in text on the same page.
- Further, there is a link on this page to take a pharmacist to the sign-up page where they can register using the appropriate form and send it off to Alliance to complete the registration.
To sign up to the service please visit this link and click onto your Alliance dept (Hinckley) complete the registration form. This form is then emailed to PenCycle@skills-in-healthcare.co.uk
Once you have signed up you will receive a number of resources that you can display in the pharmacy or handout to patients. You will also receive a PenCycle recycling bin for patients to return their pens. Patients will place their pens in a PenCycle returns cardboard box holding approx. 12 pens, they can post themselves or return to the pharmacy and place in the PenCycle recycling bin.
More information about the sign up process:
To register follow these steps;
- Follow link to Alliance’s dedicated Pencycle page PenCycle | Alliance Healthcare (alliance-healthcare.co.uk).
- In order to sign-up for the scheme please select the appropriate form for the Alliance Healthcare service centre that you normally receive deliveries from.
- These forms need to be completed with the relevant information required to finalise the registration process. These forms also act as your ‘waste transfer notes’ (annual WTN) and you will need to keep a copy of these forms for a minimum of 2 years, this can be an electronic or physical version. Alliance will reach out to renew the WTN close to its expiry date.
- Please note the registration form require a wet-signature for the wtn to be valid. Suggestion; please save a digital version of this form and use the signature-function within pdf. You can also use DocuSign to sign for those familiar with this software. Alternatively print the form out and sign it hard-copy.
- Once you have completed the registration form (WTN) please return to Alliance, as soon as possible, by one of the following means:
EMAIL: PenCycle@skills-in-healthcare.co.uk
POST: Skills in Healthcare, Pharmacy Services Development and Delivery, 43 Cox Lane, Chessington, Surrey, KT9 1SN
FAX: 0203 044 8993
- On signing up, your pharmacy will receive a welcome pack containing all relevant materials.
- These materials are all provided completely free of charge. You can order more materials at any time by using the relevant Alliance Healthcare PIP-CODES and placing orders via your PMR platform, myahportal or by calling Alliance Healthcare customer services on: 0330 100 0448
