The team of specialist pharmacists and pharmacy technicians are able to provide advice on your medication, including: side effects, interactions with other medicines or drugs (including herbal or recreational drugs), adherence to medication regimens, travelling with your medicines, and any other medication-related issue.  Please contact the pharmacy if you would like to arrange an appointment with a pharmacist to discuss any of your medicines; a private consulting room is available.

If you start any new antiretroviral medication you will be given an appointment with a pharmacist to discuss your medicines in detail.

A home delivery service for your antiretrovirals is also available - please discuss this with the pharmacy staff or your clinic doctor.

Opening hours

MONDAY                  09.30 - 13.00          14.00 - 17.30

Phone:  01273 664877

Fax:  01273 664958

Email: pharmacy.seh@bsuh.nhs.uk

Emergency Supply of Medicines - What to do if your supply of Lawson Unit medicines will run out before your next clinic appointment

If you have more than 2 days supply of medicines (or 3 days on a Friday)...

• § Call pharmacy on 01273 664877. It is important that you have your clinic number at hand and details of the medicine(s) needed. Pharmacy will then liaise with a Lawson unit doctor to have a prescription written. Once the prescription is received by pharmacy, the medicines can then be dispensed and collected from us.

Please note that the pharmacy needs a minimum of 48 working hours notice to process your emergency prescription, EXCEPT...

If you have completely run out of your medicines or have less than 2 days supply...

• § If you have run out of your medicines and are late or have missed a dose: Pharmacy can provide enough medicine(s) for the late/missed dose. Following this, you will need to contact the Lawson unit, where a triage nurse will arrange a prescription for more medicines to be dispensed by pharmacy.

• § If you have run out of your medicines and are not late or haven't missed a dose:

A triage nurse will arrange for a prescription to be written. If the clinic is busy you may have to wait for a Doctor to become available to write the prescription and for the medicines to be dispensed.  Where possible, please phone the clinic first on 01273 664722 so that a nurse can organise the prescription and let you know when it will be available for collection.

• § If the nurse feels you need to see a Doctor before the prescription can be written, they will book you an appointment in the Emergency clinic (Monday to Thursday afternoons & Friday mornings). This means you will have to wait to see the doctor, who will write the prescription and to have your medicines dispensed by pharmacy.

• § If you have run out of your medicines when pharmacy and the Lawson Unit are closed, please contact Howard 2 ward at the Royal Sussex County Hospital (telephone 01273 523061/523064). This ward is contactable 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You will be able to receive advice and, where necessary, an emergency supply of medicines.

Help us to help you!

Pharmacy can help ensure that you always have enough medicines if you:

• Ø Make your next doctor's appointment before leaving the clinic and tell us when it is. We can then dispense enough medicines to last until you next see the doctor.

• § Check the quantities of your medicines on a regular basis. If you realise you will run out of your medicines before you next see your clinic doctor (e.g. if your appointment date is changed), contact the pharmacy as soon as possible to arrange another prescription. Do not wait until you have already run out of medicines.