Homecare Patient Information Leaflet - information for patients

“Homecare Medicines” is a term used to describe the delivery of your medicines, or treatment to your home or another appropriate location such as your workplace, if you requested. This may also include the delivery of other items such as dressings, needles and syringes and can also include nurse visits to train you how to give yourself your medicine.

Your hospital clinical team is still responsible for your treatment and they will keep your GP up to date about any changes to your care.

Prescriptions will be sent to the Homecare Pharmacy Team based at Borders General Hospital who will forward it onto a trusted homecare provider who will dispense and deliver your medicines – this provider will be chosen by your clinical team. The providers have a service agreement with NHS Scotland to provide these services.

When you register for the homecare service you will receive a welcome pack from the NHS Borders team as well as being sent one from the provider as well.

In some instances, if needed we may change the homecare service provider we use with your permission.

The service offers you convenience and control over your medicines supply. Delivery of your medicines can be organized around your needs. You won’t need to wait in the hospital pharmacy or travel back to hospital to collect your medicines. Repeat prescriptions will be ordered by your hospital clinical team.

Deliveries are made by a homecare delivery driver directly to your home. Alternatively, you could arrange to have your medicines delivered to a different address (for example your place of work, or a friend or relative’s house) – whichever is convenient for you, The driver carries official identification which you can ask to see. Yourself or another adult will need to sign for your medicines delivery every time medication is delivered. This is to help ensure that your medications are delivered safely every time.

It is important that you know who to contact if you have a problem. This will depend on the homecare service you are receiving and what arrangements your hospital team has made.

• Deliveries – please contact your homecare provider first using the customer service telephone numbers.
• For other issues you should contact your clinical team.

• Attend your routine clinic appointments, blood tests or GP check-ups.
• Make sure your hospital clinical team have up to date contact details for yourself.
• Make sure an adult is around to accept the delivery and you are at home when a homecare nurse is booked to visit if applicable.
• Tell your homecare provider if you need to make any changes to your delivery date or nurse visit.
• Keep your medicine stored correctly and let your hospital team know about anything that has been stored the wrong way.
• Check your delivery and tell your homecare provider if there is anything missing or unexpected.