Discharge Medicines Service
Support with your medicines after a stay in hospital, to make sure changes are understood and followed.
Leaving hospital often means new medicines, changed doses, or stopping something you have taken for years — and a lot of information handed over at a moment when it is hard to take in. The Discharge Medicines Service is a free NHS consultation with our pharmacist to go through all of it properly once you are home.
Who it is for
Anyone recently discharged from hospital whose medicines were started, stopped or changed during their stay. The hospital will usually refer you to us directly; you can also ask for the service yourself.
What the pharmacist will cover
- Any new medicines you were given in hospital, and what each one is for.
- Any changes made to medicines you were already taking.
- How and when to take everything, and how the medicines fit together.
- Common side effects, and what to do if you get them.
- Anything you are unsure about — there are no silly questions.
How it works
We are an NHS distance selling pharmacy, so this consultation is by phone. Once your discharge information reaches us, a pharmacist will call you at a time that suits — usually within a few days of you getting home. Have your medicines and your discharge letter in front of you, and it helps to have a family member or carer on the call if they help with your medicines.
The pharmacist works closely with your GP, so any changes agreed are passed on and your records kept up to date.
Why it matters
Around half of all medicines are not taken as prescribed — the wrong dose, the wrong time, or not at all — and the weeks after a hospital stay are when that is most likely to happen. A twenty-minute conversation is a good deal cheaper than a readmission.