Pharmacy
This leaflet aims to answer your questions about bringing your own medicines into hospital. If you have any questions or concerns, please speak to a doctor, nurse, pharmacist or pharmacy technician caring for you.
Why do I need to bring my medicines into hospital?
It is important you bring any medicines you use or take at home into hospital with you to:
- Help us understand what medicines you are taking.
- Make sure the instructions on the medication’s labels are correct and the medicines are suitable for you to use.
- Make sure the right medicine is available at the right time to avoid missing any doses, especially in Parkinson’s Disease.
- Make sure you continue receiving familiar medicines.
- Make going home quicker and easier.
- Reduce waste of medicines in the NHS and help reduce the environmental impact.
What shall I bring in with me?
Medicines that you should bring in might include:
- Tablets and capsules (including oral contraception)
- Liquids
- Injections
- Insulin
- Inhalers
- Sprays
- Patches
- Eye, ear, or nose drops
- Medipack (compliance aid)
- Creams and ointments
- Medicated shampoos
Any medicines you have bought from your local chemist, supermarket, health food or herbal shop over the counter (including herbal remedies and vitamins).
Please make sure that the medicines are in their original packets or containers. Medipacks (compliance aids) will only be used for information about your medication history.
If you have left your medications at home when you come into hospital, please ask a relative or friend to bring them in when they next visit.
What happens when I come into hospital?
When you come into hospital a doctor, nurse, pharmacist or pharmacy technician will check your medicines to find out what you are taking and how often. Sometimes more than one person will look at them. They may also ask your permission to contact your GP for further details.
If we find that some of your medicines are no longer needed or are not suitable, we will ask for your permission to remove them and explain why. If you still have supplies at home of the medicines that have been stopped, please give them to your local community pharmacist for safe disposal.
If there has been a change in dose of your medicine, we will re-label or re-supply it with new instructions.
Can I use my own medicines during my stay in hospital?
Yes. Where possible, we will use your medicines and replace them if needed, when you go home. Your medicines will be stored in a lockable cabinet near to your bed or in the treatment room. Your nurse will have a key to this cabinet and will give you your medicines during your stay.
Going home from hospital
When you are ready to go home:
- Medicines that the doctors think you no longer need will be shown to you to ask your permission for them to be destroyed on the ward.
- If any new medicines have been started during your hospital stay, we will also give you a supply of these to take home. This will allow time for your GP to receive the discharge letter which we will send them with information of any changes to your medication.
- If you have a blister pack or dosette box, we will also be contacting your community pharmacy and GP to send the discharge letter to them electronically.
You may take home a mixture of your own medicines and those supplied by the hospital. If this is the case, please take extra care as some packaging of the same medication or strength may look different.
Contact us
If you have any questions or concerns please contact:
Telephone: 01642 854009
Email: [email protected]
Patient experience
South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust would like your feedback. If you wish to share your experience about your care and treatment or on behalf of a patient, please contact The Patient Experience Department who will advise you on how best to do this.
This service is based at The James Cook University Hospital but also covers the Friarage Hospital in Northallerton, our community hospitals and community health services.
To ensure we meet your communication needs please inform the Patient Experience Department of any special requirements, for example; braille or large print.
T: 01642 835964
E: [email protected]