Medicines at Home Service
Medicines at Home Service
Information for patients
Why have I been given this leaflet?
You have been given this leaflet because your clinician at Velindre Cancer Centre (‘Velindre’) has prescribed you one or more medicines that can be delivered via our Medicines at Home Service. This leaflet provides you with the information you need to make an informed decision about whether you wish to receive your medicines via this service.
What is the Medicines at Home Service?
Our Medicines at Home Service delivers hospital prescribed medicines directly to a patient’s home or other appropriate location. Your hospital prescription is sent to a trusted Medicines at Home provider (also known as a homecare provider) who will dispense and deliver your medicines.
Who will provide my medicines?
The Medicines at Home providers that we use are private companies who are not part of NHS Wales or Velindre but have been carefully chosen by us to provide this service to you. The specific provider used for your service will depend on which medicines you are receiving. In some cases, the service you receive may be funded by a pharmaceutical company.
Occasionally we may change the provider who delivers your medicines. You will be notified in advance, and it will be carefully managed with little or no impact on you.
How will the Medicines at Home Service benefit me?
The service offers you convenience and control over your hospital medicines supply. Delivery of your medicines can be scheduled around your normal life. You will not need to wait in the hospital pharmacy or travel to the hospital to collect more medicines.
We have been delivering this service for several years and have received excellent feedback from patients. However, should you choose to, you may withdraw from the service at any time.
Are there any risks?
The Medicines at Home service is a safe and convenient way of supplying medicines although you should be aware of the small risk that your medicines do not reach you in time, leading to a missed dose. To minimise this risk, our Medicines at Home Pharmacy Team at Velindre carefully monitor your ongoing medication supply and contingency plans are in place for emergency deliveries should the need arise.
You can further reduce this risk by monitoring how much medicine you have left. If you have approximately 7 days’ worth of medicine left or are coming to the end of your treatment break and have not been contacted about a delivery, see ‘Contact us’ below for ways to get in touch.
How will my medicines be delivered?
The Medicines at Home provider will call you to arrange your deliveries. These calls are from a withheld number. You can register for a text reminder service which provides you with a two-hour delivery window the day before your delivery.
Deliveries are made by an unmarked van to your home. You can also arrange to have your medicines delivered to an alternative address (for example your place of work, a friend or relative’s house or a holiday address if you are away from home in the UK). You, or someone you know (a nominated authorised person, aged 16+), will need to sign for your delivery. This ensures your medicines have reached you successfully.
How does the service work?
Your Velindre clinician will discuss with you whether the Medicines at Home Service is suitable for you. If you wish to go ahead, the Velindre Pharmacy Team will register you for the service in person or via the telephone.
You will receive a welcome call from the Medicines at Home provider within 5 working days of registration. During this call, the provider will check your details are correct, explain the service and arrange a date with you for your first delivery.
A few days before your treatment is due you will receive your first delivery and an information pack from your provider. This includes contact details for a customer support team.
What are my responsibilities?
You must continue to attend your routine clinic appointments and blood tests to allow your health to be monitored appropriately. You must have a mobile or landline phone number that the Medicines at Home provider can use to contact you to arrange your deliveries. You, or your nominated person, must be available to accept your deliveries at the time and location agreed with your homecare provider. Your clinician may withdraw you from the service if you are unable to meet these requirements.
Confidentiality
To provide the Medicines at Home Service, we need to share some of your details with the Medicines at Home provider and ask you to sign a patient information record form. This information and the dispensing records are held on the provider’s secure computer network. Medicines at Home providers are bound by the same confidentiality rules as NHS staff. They will not give information about you to anyone else or discuss your treatment with anyone except those involved with your treatment or care. You can find all the information about how your personal data will be managed in our privacy notice which can be found here: https://velindre.nhs.wales/use-of-site/privacy-policy/
Contact us.
Medicines at Home provider
Contact the provider using the details in their information pack if:
- Your delivery did not arrive when expected.
- You would like to change the agreed delivery date / time / location.
- You are running low on medicines and the provider has not contacted you to arrange a delivery.
- You would like to raise a concern or make a complaint about the service.
Velindre Pharmacy Medicines at Home Team
Telephone: 02920 615888, extension 4443 between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday.
By post: Medicines at Home Team, Pharmacy Dept., Velindre Cancer Centre, Cardiff CF14 2TL.
Contact the Velindre Pharmacy Medicines at Home Team if:
- You are unable to get through to your Medicines at Home provider to arrange a delivery.
- You would like to raise a concern or make a complaint about the service.
- You have some questions about your medicines.
Velindre Treatment Helpline (24-hour)
Telephone: 02920 615888 and ask for the Treatment Helpline if:
- You are unwell or are experiencing symptoms detailed on your Cancer Treatment Alert Card.
For any other enquiries regarding your treatment please contact your designated key worker/Clinical Nurse Specialist on the number given to you.
Concerns and complaints
If you are unhappy with the service you are receiving, we would encourage you to raise your concerns as soon as possible with your Medicines at Home provider or the Velindre Pharmacy Medicines at Home Team. Alternatively, please contact a member of the Concerns Department and they will be happy to discuss your concerns with you and pass them on to the relevant team.
To complete an online form: https://velindre.nhs.wales/raising-concerns-and-complaints/
Telephone: 02920 196161, available between 8:30am and 4:30pm, Monday to Friday.
Email: handlingconcernsvelindre@wales.nhs.uk
By post: Executive Director of Nursing, Allied Health Professionals and Health Sciences Trust Headquarters, 2 Charnwood Court, Heol Billingsley, Parc Nantgarw, Cardiff CF15 7QZ.
Feedback
We’d appreciate your feedback on our Medicines at Home Service. Please scan the QR code below with your smartphone to gain access to our survey.
Please ask if you would like this leaflet in a different format or another language.
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