Pharmacy

The role of our Pharmacy is to manage all aspects of the use and supply of medicines within the hospital:

Develop and maintain an efficient and secure medicine purchase, storage and distribution service

Ensuring the availability of medicines for individual patients during their hospital stay and at discharge

Monitor the clinical use of medicines to individual patients and lead in the development and implementation of multidisciplinary policies and guidelines on the use of medicines.

Medicine procurement and supply

Medicines are purchased, usually on national or regional contracts, from wholesalers or manufacturers and delivered direct to the pharmacy.

Wards stock is ordered by pharmacy staff using a ward top-up system and supplies are delivered to wards or departments by our porters.

Pharmacy also runs an aseptic dispensing facility which prepares intravenous and epidural injections and infusions where sterility of the final product is critical.

Medicines management

Pharmacy operates a system of Patients Own Drug (POD) lockers throughout the hospital. Each patient’s medicines are secured in a secure POD within the patient’s room. Where appropriate, the patients own medicines are used during their stay and any new medicines are dispensed as they are needed.

Our Pharmacy Technicians are responsible for ensuring that the patient has an up to date supply of all medicines prescribed in their POD locker.

If the patient is on complex medicine therapy then a clinical pharmacist will discuss this with them before they are discharged.

Prescribing support

Pharmacists are responsible for the safe and effective use of medicines at the individual patient level. Medicine prescriptions are reviewed and monitored daily by clinical pharmacists, who check they are appropriate for the patient and condition being treated.

Pharmacy is also responsible for the co-ordination of medicine policies and guidelines throughout the hospital. It is also the main source of advice on medicine-related areas, such as formulary management and management of adverse drug reactions.

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