Discharge Medicines Service

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If you, or someone that you act as a carer for, is discharged from the hospital with new or changed medication then we can help to make sure that they get the most from their medication and check to make sure that you understand how to manage it properly, with the support and advice that you require. This service is called the “Discharge Medicines Service”. To start the service we require a referral from another NHS organisation such as your doctor or your hospital.

It is intended to support delivery of the NHS Discharge Medicines Service and ensure that:

1. An integrated approach to supporting patients with medicines reconciliation and optimisation following discharge is taken across healthcare sectors, ensuring clear and identifiable links between community pharmacy, NHS trusts and PCN member practices.

2. A consistent approach to handling a referral for post-discharge medicines reconciliation is adopted. This is to reduce harm to patients caused by medication changes, give patients an improved understanding of their medicines post discharge, ensure medicines are stopped as intended, and reduce hospital readmissions because of medication issues.

3. NHS trusts develop local processes for patients to be referred to community pharmacy post discharge and these referrals are linked to a consistent service in community pharmacy.

4. Community pharmacy contractors and PCNs collaborate to support patients with medicines optimisation following discharge. This includes community pharmacy contractors referring patients to PCN practices (eg PCN pharmacy team for any additional medicines support such as a Structured Medication Review).