Taking your own medicines into hospital may not be your first thought.
But pharmacists at Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust say this should be one of the top things on your list if you are going into hospital for a planned surgery or a visit to A and E, saying this simple step will improve patient safety by ensuring an accurate record of your medications, reduce possible delays in treatment and produce less waste.
Ben Massey, a Senior Clinical Pharmacist at Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said: "Whether your visit is planned or an emergency, you should always bring your routine medicines. It's important that we have as much information about our patients as possible to allow us to make safe and accurate decisions about their treatment and care.
“When patients bring their medications to hospital it allows our staff to know immediately what treatment they're on, ensuring continuity of care without delay - which is especially crucial for those with long term health conditions.
“If you come into hospital without your medication, missing a dose may make it less effective. It's also possible that the side-effects of missing your medication can make it harder to diagnose the actual cause of why you needed to come into hospital in the first place.
He added: "A lot of patients tell me they didn't bring their own medicine because they assumed the hospital would have it available, but it's much safer for patients to have their medications available at all times."
Ben said there was also a cost implication saying bringing in medicines means the NHS does not have to provide extra stock when the patient has their own supply readily available.
While everyone is encouraged to bring their medications, there are some groups of patients for whom it is especially important. These groups of patients include:
- People who take medication for Parkinson’s disease are particularly vulnerable if they don’t have access to their regular medication. Missing doses can cause serious complications
- People with diabetes who miss their regular insulin doses could be affected by their blood glucose levels going dangerously high which can cause long term effects such as damage to their eyes or kidneys. It could even mean having to stay in hospital longer than necessary
- People with asthma or pulmonary issues who don’t have access to their regular medication could see their condition worsen. Bringing in their usual inhalers prevents delay in treatment as there are many different types of inhalers and it is not possible for the wards to keep all of the varieties in stock