Pharmacy Department

Pharmacy Department
Torbay Hospital
Lowes Bridge
Torquay TQ2 7AA

Opening hours and contact information

Outpatient Pharmacy (SDH Developments Ltd)

For prescription enquiries/deliveries:

Inpatient Pharmacy

For discharge prescriptions and ward stock:

  • Monday to Friday, 8:45am to 5pm
  • Saturday, 8:30am to midday (inc. A&E prescriptions)
  • Sunday, 9am to midday (inc. A&E prescriptions)
  • Telephone: 01803 655301

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

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.

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.

Medicines Helpline

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

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

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.

Joint Formulary

The South and West Devon Formulary and Referral is produced in collaboration with NHS Devon ICB, Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust, University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust, Devon Partnership NHS Trust, and Livewell Southwest. The Joint Formulary promotes safe, effective, and economic prescribing in primary and secondary care, and provides guidance on locally recommended drug choices.