Specialist Services Available

MEDICATION MANAGEMENT SERVICES:

 Many of us take a number of medicines every day to either make us better or to keep us healthy. These medicines may include ones prescribed by a doctor or ones that you purchase from a pharmacy, supermarket or a health food store. 

When you visit Brighton Pharmacy to pick up your medicine and receive medicine information and advice, you can now access a number of services specifically designed to help you manage your medicines, or the medicines of the person you care for. 

These services include:

CMI answers common questions about your medicine: what it is for, how to use it properly, things to consider before taking it and any known side effects, using easy-to-understand language. This information will help you use your medicine safely and effectively.

If you want to know more about your medicines, ask our friendly staff for a CMI or have a chat with our pharmacist.   

If you use medicines regularly it can be hard to remember whether or not you have taken them. It is easy to miss a dose or to take one dose twice. It is also easy to mix-up your tablets and accidentally take the wrong ones. Mistakes like these not only reduce the effectiveness of your medicines but may lead to serious problems. One way of reducing the likelihood of making mistakes is to use a Dose Administration Aid. 

Taking medication, even the most complicated and confusing dosage regimes is easy when a Webster-pak® is used. It tells you what medicine should be taken and when. Dramatically improving medication usage compliance, using a Webster-pak® can result in a healthier, happier and more independent patient. For carers, it can save you time, giving you more control and less worry!

At Brighton Pharmacy your pharmacist takes the doctor’s prescriptions and tailors the Webster-pak® to meet the patient’s individual requirements.

All the pills to be taken at a particular time are safely and securely sealed within blister compartments. These are individually labelled with their contents. For example, all the medication to be taken at breakfast on Monday is placed in one blister bubble, making the checking the medication simple.

When it’s time to take the medication, simply push the blister to release the contents through the foil backing. Nothing could be easier!

Webster-pak® -- 

     - Gives you peace of mind and helps those you care for become more independent

     - Makes your life easier

     - Reduces complicated doses into simple regimes

     - Is easier for carers to check to see if patients have properly taken their medication

     - Is a visual reminder to take medication

     - Removes the risk of tablets/capsules being mixed or spilt

     - Is tamper evident

     - Is suitable for all age groups

    - At a glance, using Webster-pak®, carers can see when medication is to be taken or if it has been missed. Taking medication as prescribed is particularly important if patients are elderly people who want to maintain independence or are in long-term care.

Dose Administration Aids are also useful when you may have difficulty reading labels and/or opening the packages your medicines usually come in.

Ask us at Brighton Pharmacy for more information if interested in this service. A small fee applies.

This free service is designed to help you manage your medicines so you can get better results from them and avoid side effects. This service has been found to be particularly useful for people who take more than five medicines or who have recently been in hospital.

If you would like your pharmacist to conduct an HMR, you need a referral from your GP. The referral is given to your pharmacist, who then spends some time with you, preferably in your home, talking about your medicines. The pharmacist sends a written report back to your GP, and may make some suggestions to help you get the best out of your medicines. Your GP will then discuss the pharmacist’s report with you and may make some changes to your medicines.

When you have to take several medicines each day it can be very confusing to remember which one is which, when to take them, and what each one is for. This is made even more confusing by the number of equivalent brands available, if you have more than one doctor prescribing medicines for you or have recently been in hospital where you may have been prescribed new medicines.

If you are having difficulty working out all of your medicines, your pharmacist can help you by developing a Patient Medication Profile for you. To do this, your pharmacist will talk with you and make a full list of all of the medicines you are taking, including prescription, over-the-counter and complementary medicines.

The profile will contain specific information about each medicine such as the active ingredient, dose, other available brands, what it is for and how to use it. It will also contain a picture of the medicine for easy identification.You can take your medication profile to show your doctor or other health professionals so they know what medicines you are taking. It can also be easily updated every time medicines, or dosage, you are taking changes. If you have to be admitted to hospital, your Medication Profile will help the doctors, nurses and hospital pharmacists make sure you get the right medicines during your hospital stay. 

Just ask the pharmacist for more information. A small fee applies which covers the whole year.

Diabetes, blood pressure, cholesterol, regular screening services and we can help you to understand your medication. 

Our pharmacists are available to check your blood pressure and blood glucose levels. A small fee applies.

Brighton Pharmacy Baby and Child Health Clinic is available each Monday from 9.00 am until 1.00 pm. No appointment is necessary.

We have the services of a fully qualified Maternal and Child nurse to look after your baby and provide professional friendly advice. There is no cost for your visit. The Red Book supplied at the hospital is required.