26 April 2010
The most senior pharmacist at Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust is urging local people to remember their medicines when they go into hospital.
Anne Davies is Chief Pharmacist and heads up the pharmacy teams at Epsom, Sutton and St Helier hospitals. She said: "It is important, that when people are preparing to come into hospital, they remember to bring in any medicines they are currently taking. Very often, they simply forget to bring the regular medication they may take every day.
"But bringing this medicine with you is important. It helps doctors make the right decisions about your treatment, identify any problems with the medicine you are taking and ensure the medicine you receive at the hospital matches what you were taking before you came in.
"Of course, your medicine remains your property – it's not used for anyone else except you and, when you return home we will ensure you have sufficient medicine for two weeks, to allow you time to get further supplies from your GP."
Patients are being advised to bring in any medicines that they take when coming into hospital, even those they only use occasionally. Examples include:
