Pharmacy Services

Pharmacy provides evidence-based medicines optimisation services, covering the entire journey of medicinal treatment – when medicines are prescribed, reconciled at care transitions, procured, stored, administered and reviewed.

Our aim is to ensure that patients receive an optimal treatment that is not only safe but also clinically effective and cost effective. 

The Team

Our services are provided by a team of specialist clinical pharmacists, medicines optimisation technicians, Medicines Safety Officer, a medicines optimisation lead nurse (who is also the non-medical prescribing lead) and support staff.  

Specialist Clinical Pharmacists advise on the clinical use of medicines and provide detailed information on medicines for patients, carers, and other health and social care professionals.  Most of our Pharmacists are Pharmacist Independent Prescribers.

Medicines Optimisation Technicians ensure medicine-related policies and procedures are in place and being adhered to.  They support medical, pharmacy, nursing and other clinical and social care professionals in the provision of pharmaceutical care.  Our ward-based technicians play a leading role in ward-based dispensing and participate in the administration of medicines.  They reconcile medicines at care transitions and carry out regular audits on the safe and secure handling of medicines.

Medicines Safety Officer (MSO) ensures the timely reporting and learning from medicine-related incidents across the Trust, in line with the 2014 NHS England directive Improving Medication Error Incident Reporting and Learning.

Medicine Optimisation Lead Nurse is integral to the pharmacy team, ensuring that the nursing perspective is taken into consideration and advising on medicine related nursing issues.

Non-Medical Prescribing Lead maintains a register of non-medical prescribers (NMPs) and ensures that our NMPs meet the national standards for prescribers.  The NMP Lead’s role comprised of four main functions:

  • Information and communication
  • Promoting and coordinating
  • Clinical governance
  • Support and training

Assistant Technical Officers (ATOs) dispense and assemble medicines, top-up ward/ unit stock medicines and support the safe and efficient running of the dispensary.

What we do

We support the safe and effective use of medicines.

In-patient units

  • Pharmacy liaises with primary care when patients are admitted and discharged to ensure seamless transfer of medicines-related care between care providers.
  • We work as part of the multi-disciplinary teams to ensure the optimum use of medicines.
  • We check that medicines prescribed are effective and appropriate and that there are no interactions between these medicines or other potential problems with taking them.
  • We ensure that medicines are reviewed and monitored in accordance with good practice, and advise on treatment options, as well as reviewing treatment histories for patients unresponsive to current treatment.
  • We ensure timely access to medicines for discharge and leave by providing dispensing service on each in-patient unit.

Community Mental Health Teams

  • Pharmacy works as part of the multi-disciplinary teams to ensure the optimum use of medicines
  • We support individuals with long-term mental health conditions to use medicines to effectively to manage their mental and physical health

GP Practices

  • Pharmacy has a pivotal role in improving quality of care and ensuring patient safety.
  • We manage long-term conditions and provide advice and health check for those on multiple medicines.
  • We carry out structured medication reviews for patients with ongoing health problems and improve patient safety, treatment outcomes and value through a person-centred approach.
  • Most of our pharmacists are Pharmacist Independent Prescribers.

Overarching provision

  • Pharmacy advises on Trust and region-wide medicines formulary to systematically manage the introduction of new medicines and respond to national directives.
  • We work closely with the clinical audit team to provide assurance on the safe and effective use of medicines against good practice standards.

We provide information and advice on medicines.

Our pharmacists and pharmacy technicians are available to discuss medicines and provide information to patients and carers.

We provide training and information on medicines to medical, nursing and other staff, and we deliver information sessions for our patients through the Trust’s Recovery College Programme.

For information on common mental health medicines and conditions, please visit our Humber Choice and Medication website

For physical health conditions and treatments, we recommend the Patient website

We supply medicines.

Pharmacy dispenses medicines on in-patient, outpatient and community settings and provides stock medicines for in-patient wards and other clinical units.

We provide advice on the storage of medicines and the most appropriate way to supply medicines, for example if someone is struggling to swallow a tablet or forgetting to take their doses.

We are compliant with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Technology Appraisal (TA) guidance.  Our formularies are devised in line with relevant NICE and other national guidelines.  Details can be found on the following links

Hull & East Riding

Scarborough and Ryedale

Opening times

Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm

Contact details

If you are an in-patient you may ask to speak with your ward pharmacist or technician. Alternatively please call 01482 389113.

Email: HNF-TR.MedicinesInformation@nhs.net