Home Page

Discharge Medicines Service (DMS)

DMS is a service all community pharmacies provide to patients who would benefit from extra support related to their medicines.

University Hospital Plymouth can refer patients to their community pharmacy on discharge from hospital. This service is beneficial to patients because:

• It helps you use your medications safely once   discharged from hospital.

• It improves the process for transferring information about your medicines from hospital to your community pharmacy.

• It improves your understanding of medicines.

• The community pharmacy can provide ongoing support and information around your medicines.

Criteria for Referral

Patients who may benefit from the service include:

• Patients starting on new respiratory medicines including inhalers

• Patients who use compliance aids e.g., blister pack

• Patients confused about their medicines

• Patients taking some high-risk medicines

The hospital pharmacist or medicines management technician will assess your medicines to check if you may benefit from this service.

Referral Process

If you may benefit from this service, the pharmacy team will then record your chosen community pharmacy and start the DMS process

1. Patients are digitally referred to their community pharmacy securely after discharge from hospital.

2. Using information in the referral, community pharmacists will compare your medicines at discharge to those you were taking before admission to hospital.

3. When a new prescription is issued by the GP the community pharmacist will check you are taking the medications you should be taking after discharge from hospital.

4. A consultation with your community pharmacist, yourself and/or your carer will help to ensure you understand what medicines you should now be using.

Depending on the quantities of your medicines, please wait to hear from your chosen community pharmacy within 4 weeks of being discharged from hospital.

If you need some advice about your medicines before you see the Community Pharmacist, please contact:

Derriford Hospital Medicines Information Helpline

Tel: 01752 439976

Monday to Friday 10:00 to 16:00