Hoveton and Wroxham Medical Centre has launched an amnesty to raise awareness about the issue of waste and medicines disposal.
He said someone had delivered two bottles dating back to 1987 containing temazepam, a Class C controlled drug from the benzodiazepine family used to treat insomnia.
It can also be taken as a relaxant before medical or dental treatment.
In 1987, temazepam was reported to be the most widely abused prescription drug in the UK.
The medication will be stored in a box at the clinic for processing.
After the labels and contents have been removed, the packages will be displayed on a boat symbolising the centre’s logo and its location in the Broads area.
As part of the month-long amnesty, the medicines are being totalled and destroyed at the end of each day.
“We’re trying to raise awareness about the issue of wasted medicines,” pharmacy manager Charlotte Watlow said.
“The idea is to encourage people to only order what they need and not hoard.
“The cost to the NHS, not including staffing, labelling and ordering, is high.
“In just three days, £5,291.96 worth of medicines were returned.”
“Sometimes there’s nothing you can do. Sometimes it’s trial and error when people try different medications.”
“People don’t know what to do with them, how to dispose of them.
“Please do not throw it away, take it back to the surgery or pharmacy as it may be damaged.”
According to a government website, the NHS loses £300 million each year due to medicine waste.