Our Services A - Z - Pharmacy Department
About the service
Our Pharmacy Department operates a 7-day service to the Trust and provides a wide range of services to ensure safe, effective, timely, economical supply and use of medicines. The Pharmacy Department has over 150 staff operating across Whiston, St Helens and Newton hospitals. We have established automated dispensing systems within the dispensaries at both sites.
Our '5 Star Patient Care' strategy is at the heart of all that we do; supporting our vision to provide world class services for all our patients by getting it right for every patient, every time. Pharmacy Services provided include dispensary services, patient facing clinical pharmacy including medicines reconciliation and clinical patient management, ward stocks management, procurement, aseptic services, medicines information, teaching and audit.
Both Pharmacy and the Trust have a long-standing reputation for being a friendly and rewarding place to work. Our last Investors in People assessment recognised our Pharmacy as an outstandingly good department for staff support and development.
Pharmacy Opening Hours and Contact Numbers
Whiston Hospital – Yellow Floor Level 1
Tel: 0151 430 1678
- Monday to Friday - 9.00am to 6.00pm
- Saturday - 9.00am to 4.00pm
- Sunday - 9.00am to 4.00pm
St Helens Hospital – Ground Floor Orange Zone
Tel: 01744 646 067
- Monday to Friday - 8.30am to 5.15pm
- Saturday - Closed
- Sunday - Closed
- Outpatient Pharmacy
Whiston Outpatient’s Pharmacy Dispensary is in the Yellow Zone (Level 1) above Accident & Emergency on the Stoney Lane side of the hospital. Alternatively, it can be accessed a short distance from the Main Hospital Reception desk and entrance lobby.
The St. Helens Outpatients Pharmacy Dispensary can be found on the ground floor Orange Zone on the left-hand side of the main entrance of the hospital.
We can only provide medicines that have been prescribed by the Trust. Please follow these 5 steps. You can monitor your prescription’s progress on the monitors in the outpatient waiting rooms
- Arriving at pharmacy
We can only begin preparing your prescription when you arrive at the outpatient pharmacy. We will ask you to confirm the patient's name and date of birth and some questions about the medicine being prescribed e.g. ‘have you taken this medicine before?' and 'do you have any allergies?'. Most outpatient prescriptions are electronic however some clinics still use white outpatient prescriptions. You will be asked if you have one of those.
- We will screen your prescription to make sure it is correct (clinical check)
A pharmacist will check that the prescription is correct against blood results, pre-existing conditions, allergies and previous/current drug therapies. This is to ensure that the medication is appropriate for you
- Prepare your prescription (dispensing)
An assistant technical officer (ATO) or pharmacy technician will prepare your medication by labelling it and dispensing it against the prescription. Some medications need to be specially prepared so it may take a little longer so please be patient.
- Check the information (final check)
When the prescription has been prepared a pharmacy technician or pharmacist will check all of the details of the prescription are correct on both the label and the medication and bag the medication for you
- Handing over your prescription
When we give you the prescription, we will ask you to confirm some of your details to make sure we are giving you the right medicines. We will explain each item to you, telling you how to take it and how often. If we have any written information about your medicine, we will also give you that. Please feel free to ask us any questions before you leave.
Patients and visitors will meet multiple members of the Pharmacy Team during their inpatient stay in hospital or following management in the outpatient setting. Pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and pharmacy assistant technical officers are at the fore of providing the Pharmacy services at the Trust. The inpatient dispensing process is similar to outpatient dispensing however medication can only be collected from the ward area for inpatient therapy and discharge and NOT the Pharmacy Department.
- About the Team
Jonathan Peacock - Head of Pharmacy (Chief Pharmacist)
Neil Schroeder - Deputy Head of Pharmacy - Operations
Tracey Thornton - Pharmacy Clinical Services Manager
Sally Patrick - Principal Clinical Pharmacist – EPMA and Pre-registration Tutor
Stephen Brough - Principal Clinical Pharmacist – Surgical Care
Greg Barton MBE - Principal Clinical Pharmacist - Critical Care and Education
Neil Brighouse - Principal Clinical Pharmacist – Aseptic Services
Andrew Lewis - Principal Clinical Pharmacist & Deputy Clinical Service Manager
Anna Lydon - Principal Clinical Pharmacist - Medicines Optimisation
Gillian Eddleston - Chief Technician - Patients Services (Dispensaries and Stores)
Marie Cawley - Chief Technician - Clinical Services
Amy Rogers - Chief Technician - Aseptic Services
- Additional Information
PHARMACY MEDICINES HELPLINE
If you have questions about medicines supplied from the hospital contact:
0151 430 1565
The helpline is open Monday to Friday 8:30am until 5:00pm
If a member of pharmacy staff is not available, please leave a message on the answer phone. Your call will be returned as soon as possible.
PHARMACY CAREERS
Please call the Pharmacy Administration Team who will direct you to the most appropriate member of Pharmacy to help with your career enquiry
0151 430 1563
- A career in Pharmacy
- Relevant Leaflets/Documents/Links
Page last updated on 01st May 2024
