Dispensary Service
The pharmacy department purchases, supplies and dispenses all medicines for CUH and CUMH. This involves negotiations of contracts, assessment of suitable products and researching supply of unusual medicines.
Most drug distribution operates through a ward 'top-up' service managed by our team of Pharmaceutical technicians. Other in-house requests for drugs are received through either the ward pharmacy service or nursing staff in charge of individual wards.
In addition we dispense some specialist medicines to out-patients and compound some specialist (extemporaneous) medicines such as liquids or creams that are not commercially available.
Clinical Pharmacy Service
A Clinical Pharmacy service is provided to all acute areas in CUH and CUMH.
Clinical pharmacists work closely with doctors and nurses and other members of the multidisciplinary team to ensure patients receive optimal pharmaceutical care while they are attending the hospital.
Clinical pharmacists have a key role in monitoring and reviewing patients and their medications. The duties of the clinical pharmacists include prescription and adverse drug reaction (ADR) monitoring, participation on rounds, providing medication counselling and liaising with community pharmacists and GPs to ensure seamless pharmaceutical care on discharge. Clinical pharmacists provide medicines information to healthcare professionals within the hospital to help optimize patient care.
Specialist Areas involve Clinical Pharmacists monitoring patients within the anticoagulation clinics, monitoring and advising on the use of antimicrobials within the hospital and ensuring the provision of suitable medicines and feeds for premature and new-born babies within the neonatal unit.
Clinical pharmacists are also involved in provision of clinical pharmacy services and hospital-only medications to categories of patients of the Infectious Diseases, Hepatology and Mental Health Services. This involves educating patients and members of the multidisciplinary team on new therapies and interactions and managing compliance issues.
Cytotoxic Reconstitution
CUH has a busy oncology /haematology service. The pharmacy has a modern Aseptic compounding Unit where all the chemotherapy for patients in the hospital is prepared on an individual basis under sterile conditions. The unit is staffed by qualified and trained pharmacists and technicians. The specialist staff in the unit are also on hand to provide drug information and other services to the oncology and haematology staff and patients.
Pharmacists and technician trained in Good Clinical Practice (GCP) are responsible for the storage, temperature monitoring and documentation associated with ongoing oncology/haematology trials in the hospital.
The unit is open Monday to Friday 8.30am to 4.30pm
Managing Your Medicines During Your Hospital Stay