Pharmacy
We aim to ensure that all patients receive the right medicines, for the right reasons, at the right time.
On this page
Pharmacy locations
At Cheltenham General Hospital
Located in the West Block, on the Lower Ground. The nearest entrance is West Block Outpatients.
Standard Opening Times
- Monday-Friday: 9am-5pm
- Saturday: 10am-1pm
- Sunday: 10am-1pm (closed to outpatients)
- Bank Holidays: 10am-1pm (closed to outpatients)
At Gloucestershire Royal Hospital
Located in the Main Block, on the ground floor. The nearest entrance is the London Road entrance.
Standard Opening times
- Monday-Friday: 9am-5pm
- Saturday: 10am-3pm (closed to outpatients)
- Sunday: 10am-3pm (closed to outpatients)
- Bank Holidays: 10am-3pm (closed to outpatients)
Our service
Almost every patient who attends our hospitals for treatment will receive some form of medication. The Pharmacy is responsible for ensuring the availability of medication and is recognised as being the key source of expertise on medicines.
Our Pharmacy team is made up of pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, pharmacy assistants and clerical and scientific staff. They support our clinical teams by:
- optimising the use of medicines
- safely dispensing medicines to patients
- conducting research
- manufacturing medicines
- providing training and education
- providing a Medicines Information Service.
If you take medicines at home and need to come into hospital, please bring your medicines with you.
Discharge Process
Our ward based pharmacy teams strive to ensure that your medication for discharge is prepared in advance of your discharge wherever possible, using our One-Stop Dispensing (OSD) system, assessment and re-use of PODs (Patients’ Own Drugs), and Discharge from Ward (DFW) pack system. This may not be possible all of the time. If there is a need for a further supply at the point of discharge, we will await the TTO (To Take Out) prescription which is written by the ward doctor.
We are unable to start dispensing your medication for discharge until we receive a TTO (To Take Out) prescription written by the ward doctor.
Once a TTO is written, it is checked and your medication assembled by the ward nurse. If items are required, the TTO will be sent to our dispensary where our dispensary team will log the TTO on to the Tracking system (accessible by all wards through our intranet), clinically check the TTO (make sure prescription is legal and clinically appropriate for you, and resolve any queries), dispense the items required and then have the items accuracy checked, before logging off the tracking system so the ward knows the medication is ready for collection.
We aim for an average turnaround time of 90 minutes for any TTO prescription. If you require a compliance aid (Dossette Tray), we require 24 hours’ notice and a TTO from the ward.
Medicines helpline
If you have an enquiry about medicines we have given you as a patient you can call us on:
- Cheltenham General Hospital: 0300 422 2805 (Monday - Friday, 15:00 - 16:00)
- Gloucestershire Royal Hospital: 0300 422 6837 (Monday - Friday, 10:00 - 11:00)
Contacts
- Cheltenham General Hospital: 0300 422 5121 (Monday - Friday, 09:00 - 17:30, Saturday 09:00 - 12.30 for emergencies only)
- Gloucestershire Royal Hospital: 0300 422 5509 (Monday - Friday, 09:00 - 17:30 only)