Pharmacy

The Pharmacy Department is based in the hospital and provides medicine for all our patients.

We ensure the management of medicines is of the highest standards and make sure the supply of medicine to patients is done safely, effectively and economically.

Members of our team work in many different areas including the central dispensary, hospital departments, on the wards and in our aseptic clean room.

Pharmacy staff on the wards

The Clinical Pharmacy team includes qualified pharmacists and pharmacy technicians who work on the hospital wards.

You are most likely to meet one of us when we check your child’s medicine chart near their bed.

We work closely with doctors and nurses to make sure medicines are prescribed and given safely and effectively. We ensure that prescriptions are completed correctly, the dose is correct for the patient’s age and weight, and if more than one medication is taken that they are safe to take together.

We may ask some questions about the medicines your child usually takes at home and if they have any allergies. If you bring any of your own medicine in from home, we will make sure they are OK to use while you are in hospital.

Once the pharmacist is happy that the prescription is correct, we make sure the medicines are available on the ward to be given at the right time.

Taking medicine home

If any medicines are needed to take home we will make sure a supply can be taken with you. Doctors will write a prescription which will be taken to the dispensary to be prepared.

If you have used your own medicines during your stay, we will also ensure you have enough to take home.

If you would like any extra information about your medicines or would like to talk to us about ways we can help you take your medicines, just ask us during your stay.

Prescriptions

If you are given a prescription by your doctor you may need to visit our central dispensary.

Here we confirm details and check medicines before providing them to be taken home.

A member of the pharmacy staff will check if your child has any allergies to medicines and the pharmacist will check all doses are suitable for your child’s age and weight.

You can ask any questions and discuss the medicine while you are here. We have a special consultation room where you can talk to the pharmacist and raise any concerns.

Questions you could ask include:

• what dose should I give and how often?
• how do I measure it?
• should I give the medicine before or after food?
• how long should I give the medicine for?
• will I need further supplies and if so how will I obtain them?
• does the medicine have any unwanted effects?
• will it cause problems with my child’s other medicines?

If you think of any further questions when you get home, you are welcome to ring the Dispensary on 0114 271 7259.

Aseptic Unit

Our on-site Aseptic Unit creates a range of injectable medicines for use in chemotherapy, parenteral nutrition (PN) and Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA).

Nursing staff can prepare some treatments on the wards, but some are more complex and need to be created in a specialist environment.

The medicines prepared in the Aseptic Unit are then supplied to our wards ready to use.

Rowlands Pharmacy

Outpatients prescriptions are fulfilled by the Rowlands Pharmacy in our Main Entrance. The opening hours are:

• Monday to Friday 9am – 6pm
• Saturdays 10am – 1pm
• Closed on Sundays and Bank Holidays

Remember to put all medicines out of the sight and reach of children.

If you are unable to access Rowlands Pharmacy, please visit the Find a Pharmacy page on the NHS website.