New outpatient pharmacy at Musgrove Park Hospital creates seamless journey for patients

A new outpatient pharmacy opens today (Monday 14 September) at Musgrove Park Hospital, making it quicker and easier for patients to pick up prescriptions after their appointments.

Previously, patients would have been required to visit a community pharmacy off the hospital site to pick up medication prescribed in their outpatient appointments. This meant extra journeys, additional time, and costs for those needing to pick up a prescription.

Medications that are prescribed to patients during outpatient appointments will now be dispensed by the hospital’s new outpatient pharmacy; routinely ready to pick up within 20 minutes of receiving the prescriptions in the outpatient pharmacy.

Andrew Prowse, Somerset NHS Foundation Trust’s Director of Pharmacy, says: “The new outpatient pharmacy at MPH is a brilliant new facility for patients attending the hospital for outpatient appointments, who are in need of prescribed medication. Whether that’s a change in medication, the need for a new medication, or a recurrent prescription, similar to that of a traditional community pharmacy, the outpatient pharmacy will safely and accurately dispense the medications ready for the patient to pick up shortly after their appointment.

“There will also be over-the-counter medications such as pain relief and cold and flu remedies, as you would find in any other pharmacy, available to purchase. This service is not just for patients, but for anyone - including visitors, and members of staff too.

“Being able to provide a pharmacy service to outpatients means that we not only make the experience better for patients, by removing the need to go elsewhere to pick up prescriptions, but it also gives patients the opportunity to speak to our pharmacy team about their medications, helping them to feel more informed about their care.”

Superintendent pharmacist, Shi Ning Ung, adds: “We want to make the experience for patients as seamless as possible. Our pharmacy team can offer guidance on how to take the medication correctly, any side effects or things to look out for, and can answer any questions the patient may have. The new outpatient pharmacy isn’t only an added layer of convenience; it’s another step in a patient’s care pathway, giving them more oversight of their care.”

The new outpatient pharmacy is open Monday – Friday, 9am – 6pm, located in the Duchess building, on the right-hand side as you walk into the main hospital building from the multi-storey car park.

An outpatient pharmacy has successfully been operational at Yeovil District Hospital since 2017. The new outpatient pharmacy at Musgrove Park Hospital will follow a similar model.