New pharmacy referral service to help patients avoid hospital readmission

From July, hospitals will be able to refer patients who would benefit from extra guidance around new prescribed medicines to their community pharmacy. Patients will be digitally referred to their pharmacy after discharge from hospital.

The NHS Discharge Medicines Service will help patients get the maximum benefits from new medicines they’ve been prescribed by giving them the opportunity to ask questions to pharmacists and ensuring any concerns are identified as early as possible.

This is part of the Health Secretary’s ‘Pharmacy First’ approach to ease wider pressures on A&Es and general practice.

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Source: Department of Health and Social Care, 23 February 2020