Patients reminded to take medicines to hospital

Manx Care said there was a range of benefits to providing details of medicines taken

Manx patients going into hospital have been reminded to make sure they take enough prescription medication with them for the duration of their stay.

Manx Care said it was important for the team to understand what was already being taken by patients, including over the counter products.

Having them to hand would reduce hospital discharge delays and medicine-related errors by "increasing the quality of your medicine history notes".

It would also ensure anything prescribed on admission corresponded with those being taken before arriving.

The pharmacy team said it was best if any drugs, including over the counter remedies and herbal products, were brought to hospital in their original containers.

Once admitted, patients were provided with a green bag to store the items in one place, including those from home, a spokesman for the health care provider said.

The pharmacy would provide a new supply of any that ran out during the hospital stay, and any new medicines prescribed during a stay would be dispensed for use on the ward and to take home, he said.

Bringing medicines to hospital for stays also reduced the risk of doses being missed or delayed, maintained familiarity, and helped healthcare staff understand how patients manage their medicines at home, he added.