Pharmacy Department

Pharmacy Department
Torbay Hospital
Lowes Bridge
Torquay TQ2 7AA

Inpatient Pharmacy (discharges and ward stock), opening hours:

  • Monday to Friday, 8.45am – 5pm
  • Saturday, 8.30am – 12 noon (inc. A&E prescriptions)
  • Sunday, 9am – 12 noon (inc. A&E prescriptions)

Reception and Dispensary: 01803 655301

Outpatient Pharmacy (SDH Developments Ltd) opening hours:

  • Monday to Friday, 9am – 5.30pm

Telephone for prescription enquiries / deliveries: 01803 656846

Services

The Pharmacy Department within Torbay Hospital provides a number of different services to members of the public and clinical staff across South Devon.

The main aim of the pharmacy departments at Torbay Hospital is to provide patients with medicines that are safe, appropriate, evidence-based and cost-effective.

In order to achieve this, the department provides clinical, distribution, purchasing, and technical services as well as financial and medicines information, and currently employs over 90 members of staff (professional, technical and clinical).

Outpatient Pharmacy

Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 8.30am – 5.30pm
Tel: 01803 656846
Email: Outpatient Pharmacy

If you have been given an outpatient prescription at your hospital appointment, you will need to take this to the outpatient’s dispensary within the hospital. You cannot use this prescription at a pharmacy or chemist outside the Trust.

You will need to pay a standard NHS prescription charge for each item, unless you are exempt from paying for your prescriptions. Standard prescription charges also apply to Emergency Department prescriptions.

More information on prescription costs and exemptions can be found on The NHS website. You may be asked to provide proof of your exemption, so please remember to bring this with you to your appointment.

Please remember to bring money with you to your appointment to pay for any prescriptions you might be given, or you can pay for your prescriptions by credit or debit card at our outpatient pharmacy.

We are unable to dispense GP prescriptions from any of our hospital pharmacies.

Medicines Helpline

If you have any questions about medicines prescribed for you by the hospital or your GP, you can call our medicines helpline. You will be able to speak to a pharmacist who can offer information and advice about your medicines. The medicines helpline is based in the pharmacy at Torbay Hospital.

The medicines helpline is open 9am – 5pm, Monday to Friday on 01803 655304

If the line is busy, please leave a message with your name and contact number, and a pharmacist will get back to you as soon as possible.

If you prefer, you can email your questions to the pharmacist using our contact form

We can answer questions such as:

  • How and when should I take my medicines?
  • What are the side effects of my medicines?
  • Can I take two or more medicines together?

We cannot answer questions on:

  • Your illness in general.
  • Symptoms or a condition that has not been diagnosed by your doctor.
  • Alternatives to your treatment if it is not working.

Medicines Information

Do you have a question about medicines?

We are here to help with expert information and advice.

Medicines Information is a speciality within Pharmacy that supports the safe, effective and efficient use of medicines by providing evidence-based information and advice. The service provides support for both patients and healthcare staff who have any questions about medicines.

Medicines Information is staffed by pharmacists with clinical expertise, and particular skills in locating, assessing and interpreting information about medicines. We have access to a comprehensive range of specialist resources in order to provide detailed information and advice on demand.

Contact us to help answer your question:

Open: Monday – Friday, 9am-5pm

Phone: 01803 655304 (ext. 55304)

Or use our contact form to send us your enquiry.

Discharge prescriptions

When being discharged after a stay at one of our hospitals, you will be supplied with any new medications that you need to continue to take at home. If you need more supplies of the medications that your GP prescribes, these can be provided at the same time.

On discharge, the pharmacy department will try to ensure you have at least 14 days supply of your medications, or enough medication to complete the course if it is a short course of medication. There are no prescription charges to pay for these NHS hospital prescriptions.

Details of your prescription will be sent to your GP so that they can continue to supply you with further prescriptions as necessary.

Joint Formulary

The South and West Devon Formulary and Referral is produced in collaboration with Northern, Eastern and Western Devon Clinical Commissioning Group, South Devon and Torbay Clinical Commissioning Group, Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust, Plymouth Community Health, Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust. The Joint Formulary promotes safe, effective, and economic prescribing in primary and secondary care, and provides guidance on locally recommended drug choices.

Pharmacy Manufacturing Unit (PMU)

Torbay Pharmaceuticals in Paignton, manufactures a range of sterile and non-sterile pharmaceutical products and provides them on a national basis to customers within and outside of the NHS.

For more information, visit www.torbaypharmaceuticals.nhs.uk.