Outpatient pharmacy services
East Surrey Hospital and Boots have joined together to help you with your medicines.
All outpatients’ prescriptions are now only dispensed at Boots located opposite the Outpatients Department at East Surrey Hospital. These prescriptions are not valid at any other Boots store.
Boots at East Surrey Hospital opening times:
Monday to Saturday 8am to 8:30pm
Sunday 10am to 4pm
Boots stock a wide variety of medicines and the dispensing staff know our doctors and nurses, so if you have any questions or concerns about your prescription, we can resolve these quickly and while the doctor and you are still nearby.
If you have any questions or concerns about any of your medicines please talk to the staff at Boots who will be happy to help you.
Medicines consultation with a Boots pharmacists
Boots can give you a consultation with a pharmacist to discuss your medication. A medicines consultation includes all prescribed medicines, such as tablets, liquids, creams and inhalers, along with any purchased from a pharmacy, health shop or supermarket (for example, vitamins, supplements or pain killers). During the consultation you can ask any questions you might have about how and why you should be taking your medicines and any problems this is causing.
We hope that you find the Boots services helpful, and that the joint work between East Surrey Hospital and Boots helps to make your visit to the hospital a good experience.
Inpatient pharmacy services
Our team of pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and assistants are responsible for ensuring the best use of medicines for you and that the medicines you receive during your inpatient stay are available, safe and effective.
Our pharmacists may be part of your ward round team and several have a higher qualification that allows them to prescribe medicines. We also have a strong “behind the scenes” team which ensures availability, quality and cost-effective use of medicines at SASH.
When you are admitted
We check that the medicines prescribed for you safely reflect those you were taking before admission. We do this by talking to you, looking at the repeat prescription or medicines you brought in, and if necessary, with your permission, we will contact other people such as your GP or community pharmacist. We also check that any medicines that you usually take at home, which are not currently prescribed on your chart, are being intentionally withheld or stopped by the doctors looking after you.
During your stay
Pharmacists regularly screen your in-patient medication chart. Screening means that we check that the medicines prescribed for you are at the correct doses for you and do not interact with each other. We then monitor your treatment to make sure that that it is suitable for you. We are available to discuss with you if you think you may be experiencing any side effects and check any blood tests you might need. We can also advise you about any new medicines you start.
When you are discharged
Pharmacists will clinically screen your discharge prescription and then order any medicines you need to take home with you from our inpatient dispensary. We will ensure that you have at least two weeks’ supply of your medicines (unless a shorter course is needed) such as with antibiotics. A copy of your prescription is then sent to your GP for information.
If necessary, with your permission, we will also speak with your local community pharmacist, especially if you have a weekly dosette dispensed for you by them.
It is important that you feel confident about any new medicines you have started during your inpatient stay. We will ensure that an information leaflet is included in all medicines we dispense for you. Additionally we provide you with a MaPPs leaflet which summarises the most important information about medicines that are new for you.
Pharmacy medicines helpline
If you have any questions about your medicines once you get home from hospital, please contact the Pharmacy Medicines Helpline on 0808 281 0188. Our opening hours are:
Monday to Friday: 08:30am – 17:00pm
Saturday to Sunday: 09:00am – 16:00pm (limited service including bank holidays).
If your question is not urgent and is outside of these hours, please leave us a voicemail with your name and contact number and we will call you back the following day. Or you can drop us an email at: sash.medicines.information@nhs.net.
Other pharmacy services
There is a lot that goes on in our hospital pharmacy. Find out more by visiting our outpatients services page.
Considering a career as a pharmacist? Visit the working for us page to find out what it’s like the work in the SASH pharmacy.