The main role of a hospital pharmacist is to promote the safe and effective use of medication by:

• working with the healthcare team to ensure the selection of the best medication at the correct dose for an appropriate duration
• monitoring and preventing or minimising side effects and drug interactions
• providing medication counselling to patients
• dispensing medications for patients in wards, the emergency department and those attending outpatient clinics
• manufacturing specialised medications such as chemotherapy for cancer treatment, mixtures and creams etc
• offering specialist drug therapy advice to doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals within the hospital
• visiting patients in their home after discharge to ensure safe medication management, and to prevent errors and readmission to hospital.

To optimise your medication therapy, a pharmacist may need to ask you some questions. For example:

• Do you have allergies to any medicines or food additives?
• Have you had a bad reaction to any medicines in the past?
• What medicines were you taking before you came into hospital? This includes any eye drops, inhalers, injections, patches, non-prescription medicines, the oral contraceptive pill, vitamins and herbal medicines.
• Do you have a regular pharmacy where you go to buy your medicines?
• Does a pharmacy pack your medicines into a dosette or similar container for you?
• Do you have any of the following cards?

• Medicare card
• healthcare card
• repat card
• safety net card
• pensioner concession card
• Commonwealth Seniors Health card

Below is a list of questions you may wish to ask you pharmacist and/or doctor with regards to new and old medicines that have been prescribed for you:

• the name of the medicine
• the purpose of the medicine
• how and when to take the medicine
• any possible side effects
• any foods, drinks and/or medicines that need to be avoided whilst taking the medicine
• any actions to avoid whilst taking the medicine e.g. driving, operating machinery
• any additional advice about the medicine

If you experience any unexpected or troublesome side effects, especially if the medicine is new, or if you have concerns about any of your medicines, please let your nurse, doctor and/or pharmacist know.

Consumer medicine information (CMI) leaflets and other information sheets are available from the pharmacy department. Ask your pharmacist if you would like information on any medicines you are taking

The drug information centre is a service offered through the Pharmacy Department. It provides telephone advice, and where appropriate, may act as a referral service by directing you to the best available resource to respond to your query or concern. The drug information centre is a service for the general public and health professionals for advice and assistance on:

• new medicines
• adverse effects of medicines
• medicine interactions

It specialises in medicines for children, during pregnancy and breast feeding and for women's health.

Contact:  T: 9594 2361 F: 9594 6283

Hours: Monday to Friday 9.00am to 5.00pm

You will not be charged for medicines supplied when you have been admitted as patient. When you are discharged from the hospital the doctors may need to write a prescription which can be dispensed at our pharmacies. It will incur the same PBS co-payment as community pharmacies. The amount you pay, even for non-PBS medications, can contribute to your safety net threshold for the calendar year.

Ask the pharmacist for more information.

If you have any of the following cards, please bring with these with you when presenting your prescription to the pharmacy department:

• Medicare card
• healthcare card
• repat card
• safety net card 
• pensioner concession card
• Commonwealth Seniors Health card

Casey Hospital

T: 8768 1593
hours: 8.45am-5.15pm Monday to Friday, 10.00am-noon Saturday and Sunday

Cranbourne Integrated Care Centre

Outpatients pharmacy T: 5990 6194
hours: Monday to Friday, 9am-1pm, 2:15pm-5:15pm

Dandenong Hospital

T: 9554 8303
hours: 8.45am-5.15pm Monday to Friday, 10.00am-12.30pm Saturday, Sunday and public holidays

Kingston Centre

T: 9265 1241
hours: 8.30am-5.00pm Monday to Friday

Monash Medical Centre, Clayton

T: 9594 2360
hours: 8.45am-5.15pm Monday to Friday, 9.00am-1.00pm Saturday, Sunday and public holidays

Outpatients department T: 9594 2362 or 9594 2364
hours: Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm

Monash Medical Centre, Moorabbin

T: 9928 8724
hours: 8.30am-5.00pm Monday to Friday, 10.00am-noon Saturday

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