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Welcome to the NHS Western Isles Pharmacy service.
How can I effectively manage my medications?
Every year in NHS Scotland, £20 million is spent on medicines waste. The biggest problem coming from repeat prescriptions that people no longer need or use. Help the NHS avoid medicines waste by only ordering repeat medications if you need them and remember, unused medications are unable to be reused.
If you have quantities of out-of-date or no longer used prescribed medications, please return these medications to your GP Practice or local pharmacy to ensure they are safely disposed of.
Binning or flushing unwanted prescribed medications can harm the local environment, cause risk to other people, and also cause household toilet/water contamination. It’s also important to make sure there are no unused medications in your home, to help avoid harm or risk to others within or visiting the household – medications can be a huge safety risk for children and others who might take them.
If you have any questions or concerns about your medications, or a prescription, do not hesitate to ask your GP, Practice Nurse or Pharmacist.
If you are not sure what your medicines are for, or you are worried about using them, please talk to your GP Practice, or Community Pharmacist. Alternatively contact your GP Practice to make an appointment with the Primary Care Pharmacy team.
About the Pharmacy Team
The role of the Pharmacy team is to supply and provide advice on medicines and their use to healthcare staff, as well as to patients and their carers. This advice helps patients/carers to manage their medicines better, particular in relation to the medication's effectiveness and how it interacts with other medicines that may be being taken.
There are three strands of Pharmacy services in the Western Isles:
- Community Pharmacy
- Primary Care Pharmacy (access via GP)
- Hospital Pharmacy
Please see the relevant sections below to find out how each service helps patients and their carers.
The Community Pharmacy team are available at your local Pharmacy, of which there are three based on the Isle of Lewis. Click the below links to go directly to their website or Facebook page:
They are available for prescription dispensing from your GP Practice, but are also available for any questions you may have about medicines and products. They offer a variety of services to help with common illnesses as well as long-term conditions. For further information please view the local Community Pharmacy flyer.
NHS Pharmacy First Scotland
NHS Pharmacy First Scotland is an NHS service provided by your local community pharmacy. If you have a minor illness, a pharmacy is the first place you should go for advice. You do not usually need an appointment and you can go to any pharmacy.
Your local pharmacist or a trained member of the pharmacy team will give you advice and provide medicine if needed. They may need to refer you to another healthcare professional such as your GP practice, dentist, optometrist or another NHS service if they feel your condition needs further investigation or more specialist care.
To find out more about this service visit NHS Inform. or to view the information in an alternative format or different language click here.
Smoking Cessation (Quit Your Way Hebrides)
Contact your local community Pharmacist to see how you can be referred to the Quit Your Way Hebrides service, the local stop-smoking service that offers confidential advice and information on a one-to-one or group basis. Alternatively view the local Quit Your Way Hebrides website.
How to access your local Community Pharmacy
Telephone or visit your local Community Pharmacy for all services:
Back Pharmacy
Opening Hours
- Monday to Friday: 10:00 – 17:30
- Saturday: 10:00 – 13:00
- Sunday: Closed
Contact
- Telephone: (01851) 820333
- Address: Old School Road, Back, Isle of Lewis HS2 0LQ
Boots Pharmacy
Opening Hours
- Monday to Saturday: 09:00 – 17:30
- Sunday: Closed
Contact
- Telephone: (01851) 701769
- Address: 4-6 Cromwell St, Stornoway, HS1 2DA
K.J. Macdonald Pharmacy
Opening Hours
- Monday to Saturday: 09:00 – 17:30
- Sunday: Closed
Contact
- Telephone: (01851) 703131
- Address: 29-31 Cromwell Street, Stornoway, HS1 2DD
The Primary Care Pharmacy (PCP) team offer support to all NHSWI patients and their carers. The PCP team are qualified experts in medicines and are available to help people in a range of ways including:
- carrying out structured medication reviews
- providing specialist expertise in the use of medicines
- improving medicines optimisation and safety.
The team does this by offering prescribing and clinical skills either virtually, face-to-face or via telephone, as part of a multi-disciplinary team made up of health professionals.
How to access this service
If you would like to speak to one of the PCP team, please contact your GP Practice to arrange an appointment. Click here to find details of local GP Practices.
The Hospital Pharmacy team at Western Isles Hospital is responsible for the supply of all medicines used in all three hospitals in the Western Isles (Western Isles Hospital, Uist and Barra Hospital and St Brendan’s Hospital). The team manages the purchasing and dispensing of medication stock for hospital use.
Pharmacists work with the medical and nursing team to make sure hospital patients are receiving the best treatment whilst in hospital. They advise on the best medication treatment, which includes the dose and administration, and can also provide advice on all aspects of a patient’s medicines.
Queries
For all queries regarding the Hospital's Pharmacy team, please contact the Western Isles Hospital (Reception desk) by telephoning (01851) 704704 who will be able to direct your call appropriately.
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- LAST REVIEWED ON: October 22, 2024