Pharmacy

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Pharmacy

We ensure that the selection and use of medicines is undertaken in an appropriate, safe and cost effective fashion. This is achieved by meeting two objectives, namely to ensure:

The efficient and economic procurement and distribution of medicines.
The informed, safe and cost-effective use of those medicines.

The pharmacy department of the University Hospital of South Manchester NHS Foundation Trust employs over 100 people; Pharmacists, Pharmacy Technicians, Pharmacy Assistants and Clerical staff, all of whom play a vital role in providing medication and advice to our patients. In addition the Pharmacy department provides training for 5 pre-registration pharmacists and two student pharmacy technicians.

We issue over 700,000 items a year, at a value in excess of £20 million from the department.

The dispensary has a state of the art robotic dispensing system at the heart of the operation. A specialist satellite dispensary situated in the newly built Cystic Fibrosis Unit is designed to meet the specific needs of these patients. In addition, we have a licensed aseptic manufacturing unit which produces over 38,000 items a year of highly specialised medicines including cytotoxic (chemotherapy) infusions and parenteral nutrition feeds.

Our dedicated team of pharmacists and medicines management technicians provide advice to medical and nursing staff on the selection and appropriate use of medicines at ward level. The ward-based pharmacy team will discuss your medicines with you during your stay in hospital. This will involve finding out what medicines you were taking before coming into hospital and how you were managing your medicines at home. Before you leave the hospital we will provide information on how best to take and manage your medicines to ensure you get the most benefit from your treatment

Outpatient and Day Case Prescriptions

When attending an outpatient appointment you may need urgent changes or additions to your medication; if this is the case a prescription will be issued for dispensing by the pharmacy dispensary. If the changes are not urgent then the hospital doctor will write to your GP suggesting an alteration; you should collect your new prescription from the GP two weeks after your appointment.

Please note that our dispensary can only dispense items prescribed on a hospital prescription note. If your doctor gives you a small green (FP10HP) prescription you will need to take this to any community pharmacy.

All prescriptions issued in outpatients are chargeable, unless you are exempt, at the current rate set by the government (£7.40 per item from 1st April 2011). Please bring enough money with you to cover any prescription charge, or your proof of exemption, when you attend an outpatient clinic. Our staff will be happy to advise you on pre payment certificates or exemption guidelines.

If you attend the hospital for a day surgery procedure, or short stay surgical procedure, which does not involve an overnight stay in hospital, any prescription issued is chargeable as above.

Hospital Admissions

If you are coming into the hospital for planned (elective) treatment please bring all your current medication with you and a copy of the list of medicines from your GP. This will help us communicate any changes/additions in your medication to your GP on discharge from hospital. If your admission was unplanned (emergency) then the ambulance service may collect your medicines when they bring you into hospital or we may ask a family member to bring in your medicines at a convenient time early in your stay, for the reasons mentioned above.

Where possible your own medicines will be used during your hospital stay, however you will be sent home with at least 7 days supply of medicines; dispended by the hospital pharmacy if necessary.

Patients' Medicines Helpline

Tel: 0161 291 3331

Mon–Fri: 0900 to 1700 hrs

We endeavour to give clear instructions for all the medicines dispensed, whether it is given on the label or a patient-information leaflet, or verbally. Sometimes, you might have further questions that you wish to ask about your medicines such as:

How and when to take them.
The effects of taking them with other medicines.
Whether you can drink alcohol with the medicines.
Problems that your medicines can cause.

We regret that we can only advise you about the medicines that have been given to you at Wythenshawe Hospital.

For advice about:

Medicines prescribed by your own general practitioner (GP) or other doctor, please contact them directly with any questions.
Your illness: again, ask your doctor - s/he will know your medical history.
Other people's medicines; they should ask their doctor.

Opening Hours

Pharmacy opening hours are:

Monday – Friday: 9.00am – 6.30pm
Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays: 9.00am – 12.30pm

Although the Pharmacy Departments are not open 24 hours a day, an out-of-hours pharmacist is always available for medicines urgently needed for inpatients.