Professional Documents
Culture Documents
TO PRESCRIBING,
MEDICINE SUPPLIES
AND SUPPORT
FROM YOUR PHARMACY
INDEX
Page
Adverse Drug Reaction 6
Antibiotic Policies 6
CIVAS (Central IV addictives service) 3
Clinical Pharmacy Service 1
Controlled Drugs 5
Cytotoxic Service 3
Directorate Pharmacists 8
Discharge Medication 5
Dispensary Opening Hours 2
Emergency Cupboards 2
Emergency Duty Service 3
Formulary 6
Free Samples 7
IV administration by Nurses 7
Medical Representatives 7
Medicines Information Centre 1
New Medicines 6
Parenteral Nutrition Service 3
Patients Own Drugs (POD) Service 7
Prescribing – general guidance 4
Prescribing for self or other staff 7
Product Defects and Product Recalls 6
Self Prescribing 7
PHARMACY
Welcome to pharmacy. In addition to supplying medicines, we can offer helpful advice and
guidance on their use. Access to this information may be gained by three routes:
Choice of therapy
Administration/Dosage
Adverse effects
Availability/supply
Identification
Interactions
Pharmacology/Pharmacokinetics
Drugs in pregnancy
Drugs in breast feeding
Alternative medicine
Substance misuse
Information on new drugs
The centre is located near the lifts to the right of the foyer on C level at SGH, and is
open 8.45a.m. - 5.15p.m. Monday – Friday. It serves all healthcare professionals in
both primary and secondary care.
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3. Dispensary
The dispensaries are open for information and supply of medicines at the following
times:
Hours of Opening
Lymington Hospital
Monday and Tuesday: 8.30 a.m. to 1.00 p.m.
2.00 p.m. to 5.00 p.m.
Wednesday: 8.30 a.m. to 1.00 p.m.
Thursday and Friday: 8.30 a.m. to 1.00 p.m.
2.00 p.m. to 5.00 p.m.
4. Emergency Cupboards
Apart from Lymington, there is no access to Pharmacies outside the hours given
above, but each department has an emergency cupboard nearby, which is available to
medical staff. Newly appointed medical staff are invited to seek the assistance of
pharmacy staff in order to become familiar with the local arrangements for obtaining
keys and the location of the emergency cupboard. It would be helpful if details of all
items taken from the cupboard could be entered in the book provided, so that stock
can be replaced promptly for the next emergency. The controlled drug cupboards in
the Pharmacies are not accessible when the departments are closed, but adequate
stock is normally available on the wards.
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5. Emergency Duty Service
In an emergency, a Pharmacist can be contacted for information about medicines or
their supply through the hospital switchboard at Southampton General Hospital.
8. Cytotoxics
A centralised oncology pharmacy service is available at SGH. This satellite unit
provides a full service to oncology by having its own dispensary and aseptic unit.
Under Trust health and safety policies, all cytotoxics must be prepared in the
specialised facilities available in pharmacy, and handled on the ward by trained and
approved staff. Drugs will be provided in the most ready use form. Prescriptions
should be sent to the pharmacy no later than 3pm on the day the drugs are required.
For dermatology and bladder instillations at the RSH, prescriptions must be faxed to
the oncology pharmacy on Fax 6762 and the original prescription taken to the RSH
pharmacy which will be released on receipt of the drugs from SOCP.
For further information contact the Service Manager on Ext 3125 or Bleep 2480. For
the Directorate Pharmacist Bleep 1128.
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9. Prescribing and the Use of Drug Administration Charts
The British National Formulary (BNF) and the BNF for Children are excellent
prescribing guides. Approved names from this text should be used wherever possible.
All medicines, including additives to intravenous infusions, should be prescribed on the
drug chart.
S.C. - Subcutaneous
I.M. - Intramuscular
I.V. - Intravenous
Sub ling - Sublingual
O - Oral
Changes in drug therapy must be ordered by a new prescription, after deleting the
discontinued drug. It is not acceptable to amend items.
Discontinue a drug by clearly crossing out the discontinued drug, and drawing a
line through the unused recording panel. Sign and date all discontinuations.
Dosage should be given in metric figures. Circle the appropriate units on the chart or
write them clearly
Full Signature must be used by the doctor prescribing in addition please print your
name and bleep number.
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Controlled Drugs, eg. morphine; special regulations apply to medicines of
this type. It is essential that the total number of doses to be administered is
specified. If this is not done, only one dose can be administered by the nursing staff.
For outpatients and those going home, the prescription must be in ink or otherwise
indelible, in the prescriber’s own handwriting, signed with their usual signature and
dated by them. They must also specify:
i) The patients name.
ii) The dose to be taken.
iii) The form of the preparation.
iv) The strength of the preparation (if more than one strength is available).
v) The total number of dosage units to be supplied (in words as well as figures).
If more than one strength is required to make a dose the quantity of each must be
stated.
For example: Morphine Sulphate slow release capsules 50mg BD for 7 days.
Total quantity (14), fourteen capsules of 30mg and (28) twenty eight capsules of
10mg..
Since this is a legal requirement, Pharmacists will return to the prescriber, for
correction, any prescription which does not comply fully with the above
regulations for dispensing.
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10. Formulary
The Drugs Committee, at the request of the Clinical Management Group, has
produced a formulary for hospital prescribing in Southampton Hospitals.
Pharmacy are notified of product recalls through the national scheme administered by
the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). Those clinical
areas affected will then be notified by pharmacy in accordance with trust policy.
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15. Administration of Intravenous Injections by Nursing Staff
Qualified nurses with a certificate are allowed to give an approved range of
drugs by intravenous injection. A policy outlining those which have been agreed
within each specialty is available on each ward.
17. Samples
It is Trust policy that samples of medical products, including medicated dressings
and aerosols for use in the hospital, must never be left on wards, theatres or
departments, nor given out at promotional meetings. Pharmacies do not accept
samples.
Samples of medicinal products for the private use of doctors should be sent to
their private address or given to the doctor concerned personally on the
specific understanding that they will not be used within the hospital.
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20. Directorate Pharmacists
All Directorates have a Directorate Pharmacist who is responsible for co-ordinating
the pharmaceutical service to the Directorate. Their functions include examining
drug expenditure, providing information and advice and helping to develop
guidelines for the use of medicines. The names and bleep numbers of Directorate
Pharmacists are listed below.
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