You may wonder how the Pharmacy team are involved to help ensure you receive safe, personal and effective care throughout your journey as a surgical patient. Have a read below for how they help...
Medication history
Firstly, we will ask you questions to find out what medications you were taking before your hospital admission to make sure it is correctly prescribed - if safe to do so whilst in hospital.
Please bring all medicines you are taking into the hospital so we can check these for you.
Secondly, we will check your inpatient medicine chart to confirm all medications, old and new, are prescribed appropriately for you. Additionally we will be responsible for making sure you always have all your medicines available whilst in hospital. This may include medications that help reduce your risk of blood clots, manage your pain, prevent any nausea and vomiting, reduce risk of infections and encourage bowel movements.
Finally, when you are medically fit for discharge, we will prepare your discharge prescription ensuring safe return of care back to the community.
This involves discussing with you any medication changes including medines started, stopped or changed and supply of medicines as neccessary.
What we need from you:
Please remember to follow any medication adjustments that have been advised to you in your pre-operative assessment. This may include witholding medication for a set time before admission, changing a dose of medication or the addition of a medication. This can impact whether the procedure can be done on the day. We are always around and more than willing to answer any of your medication related questions.