Thousands of patients receive their medication without leaving their house thanks to a Trust initiative
Over 5,000 patients have received their medication without taking a trip to the hospital thanks to a Trust Pharmacy initiative that helps protect the most vulnerable people during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In March, just two days after the Prime Minister announced that vulnerable people should shield at home, Trust Pharmacy, based at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, began delivering medication to enable people to continue to receive their treatment.
Guy Wilkes, Managing Director of Trust Pharmacy said: “Trust Pharmacy has managed to adapt its services to allow patients who are shielding to remain safe in their homes and still receive their much needed medication.
“We are now expanding the service to deliver outpatient medicines to patients’ homes wherever possible. This will mean patients can simply attend their appointment and go home without visiting a busy pharmacy for their prescription.”
The initiative aims to reduce the risk of transmission for patients by avoiding or reducing time spent in hospital, reducing traffic in the corridors and avoiding busy pharmacy waiting areas. The service currently delivers to all addresses within Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Lincolnshire and Leicestershire.
In June alone, 10,859 miles were covered by the pharmacy’s drivers who are trained to comply with infection control measures. There are now seven drivers in total who are able to deliver medications to the people who need it.
This service has been integrated across the hospital as clinical teams are able to mark prescriptions for ‘home delivery’ which are then delivered 1-2 days after the patient’s appointment. Patients are still able to attend the pharmacy if their medication begins immediately.
Feedback from patients shows that they trust the service and feel reassured that they will receive their medicines in a safe and timely manner:
“Fast service and driver followed social distancing rules”
“Felt reassured that my oncology medication wouldn't go missing in the post”
“Medication came securely packaged”
“Nice to have a follow up call the following day to make sure I was happy”