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Pharmacy services

Images of pharmacy services across the Trust

Welcome to the webpages of the Pharmacy directorate for East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust.

The Pharmacy directorate provides a range of services throughout the Trust. It is a patient focused service that is involved in every aspect of the management of medicines. There is a Pharmacy department with a dispensary in each of our three acute hospitals, William Harvey Hospital in Ashford, Kent and Canterbury Hospital in Canterbury, and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital in Margate.

The hospital pharmacies provide services to patients in these hospitals while specialist services may be based in one of the hospitals but provide a service to the whole Trust. There are also pharmacists who are qualified to prescribe medicines.

The Pharmacy directorate takes an active role in ensuring that the Trust complies with national legislation, standards and guidance on medicines, cost effective prescribing and infection control.

Services include:

  • Inpatient and outpatient dispensing and supply using robotic technology
  • Ward pharmacy
  • Medicines information
  • Procurement and distribution of medicines
  • Aseptic preparation of sterile products, particularly chemotherapy
  • Quality control
  • Clinical trials of medicines
  • Specialist oncology pharmacy
  • Specialist renal pharmacy
  • Specialist antimicrobial pharmacy
  • Specialist palliative care pharmacy to the hospices in east Kent
  • Education, training and development.
There is a Pharmacy department with a dispensary in each of our three acute hospitals, William Harvey in Ashford, Kent and Canterbury in Canterbury, and Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother in Margate.

Getting to our hospitals

For information of getting to our hospitals by car, public transport or NHS transport, plus details of car parking availability - please see the link below:

Find your way around our hospitals

Click the links below to view and download maps of our hospitals:

Useful pharmacy telephone numbers and opening times:

Kent and Canterbury Hospital                                         

  • Monday to Friday: 9am – 5.30pm / Saturday to Sunday: 9am – 12noon
  • Tel: 01227 864263

Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Hospital

  • Monday to Friday: 9am – 5.30pm
  • Tel: 01843 225544 ext 725-3196.

William Harvey Hospital

  • Monday to Friday: 9am – 5.30pm
  • Tel: 01233 633331 ext 723-8005.

Patient helpline

The pharmacy medicines information department operates a telephone helpline to answer any questions about medicines issued by the hospital.         

The helpline is available: Monday to Friday 10am – 4pm on 01233 616001.

You may have questions such as:

  • When and how should I take my medicines?
  • Is it safe to take with other medicines?
  • What side effects may I experience?

Unfortunately we cannot answer questions on:

  • Medicines from your own doctor
  • Other people’s medicines
  • Your illness in general.

If you have a question about supplies of your medicine, for example if you have to collect further quantities, please contact the pharmacy at the hospital where you were seen.

Frequently asked questions

Q: How can I dispose of unused medicines?
A: All medicines should be disposed of safely. Any unused medicines whether issued by the hospital or community pharmacy can be taken to a community pharmacy for disposal. The hospital pharmacy can only dispose of medicines issued by the hospital.

More information

There are lots of internet websites containing information on drugs. The following provide reliable information:

  • NHS Choices – a helpful website provided by the NHS discussing medications and conditions.
  • Patient UK  has information on diseases and medicines. It also lists patient support organisations and self help groups.  
  • NHS Direct – provides health advice and up to date information on current health issues. NHS Direct can be contacted by telephone 0845 4647.

Q: What if I don’t have access to the internet?
A: There are numerous patient support groups for different conditions that offer information with leaflets and telephone help lines. Some can be found in local telephone directories e.g. Diabetes UK. Your specialist nurse or the medicines information department can give you further information.