About The Department
The Pharmacy Department is a part of the multidisciplinary healthcare team and provides optimal pharmaceutical services and patient care to both in-patients and out-patients of the Hospital.
The department comprises a Chief Pharmacist, a Senior Pharmacist and sixteen floor pharmacists; and fills approximately 360,000 prescriptions annually.
Provide Your Barbados Identification Card:
In order to receive benefits afforded under the Barbados Drug Service programme, you are required to produce your valid Barbados Identification Card.
- For your safety, you may be asked to produce this or other documentation used to identify you before the medication is handed to you.
Opening Hours
- General Hours : Our opening hours are 8:30 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. weekdays and 9:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M. weekends until further notice. Persons visiting the pharmacy are reminded to observe a 3 feet, or 1 meter space between themselves and others.
- Pharmacy Hotline – Placing orders by phone for delivery of medication may be done by calling 536-4804 between 9:00 A.M. and 3:00 P.M. Monday to Friday, or you can leave a voicemail which we will respond to within 1 business day.
Services Offered
The Pharmacy Department provides and manages the coordinating, selection, procuring, prescribing, compounding and distribution of medications. The department also works directly with the medical team to manage and monitor the administering of medicines used to ensure patient derive the best desired benefit and outcome.
Services include:
- Dispensing – ensuring that prescriptions are dispensed efficiently and accurately
- Compounding – the preparation of personalized medications in which individual ingredients are mixed together in the exact strength and dosage form required by the patient. This allows the compounding pharmacist to work with the patient and the prescribing physician to customize a medication to meet the patient’s specific needs.
- Special Services – the preparation of total parenteral nutrition feeds (TPNs), chemotherapy preparations and other sterile products.
- Education – providing support for healthcare staff and patients who may have questions about their medications.
Patient Safety Information
Medicines are used to treat diseases and improve health but taking medication comes with risks. It is the intention of this pharmacy to deliver safe, efficacious quality products and services at all times. However, despite these best intentions an adverse incident can occur which can cause harm and discomfort. For example, some medicines may not be used during pregnancy and even safe medicines can cause unwanted side effects or interactions with food, alcohol, or other medicines when taken together. Therefore, patients need to become aware and involved in their care. To do so, here are a few tips:
- Always let the doctor or pharmacist know of any medication you are using, be it prescribed or over the counter such as herbal preparations, dietary supplements or tonics.
- Exercise extreme caution when giving medication to children. Please follow the directions provided.
- Medicines are to be taken only as directed and should not be shared.
- Expired, unwanted or unused medicines should be disposed of according to the instructions provided, or returned to the pharmacy for safe disposal.
- When taking medicine, please report any side effects or undesirable effects observed to the doctor, pharmacist or nurse.
- Store medicines according to the instructions provided as fluctuating temperatures such as in the bathroom or the car, heat, light or moisture can cause the medicine to deteriorate.
- Store medicines out of sight and out of reach of children.
- Take the medication for the full prescribed time.
- Know Your Medications: Get familiar with the names of those medicines you have been prescribed. Pay special attention to any auxiliary labels used and to any change in direction, dosage or physical appearance of a medicine.
- Get familiar and properly trained in the techniques for using devices such as inhalers, spirometers and for administering subcutaneous injections or have provisions put in place for someone to assist with their use and with administering injections.
- Ask your pharmacist to repeat and clarify any instructions as necessary.
- Should questions arise, know who to contact and their contact information.
Knowing the above patient education tips is important in helping you make well-informed decisions about your healthcare and health management.