- Reference Number: HEY1079/2025
- Departments: Pharmacy, Trustwide - Adult
- Last Updated: 31 July 2025
REFER TO PHARMACY – DISCHARGE MEDICINES SERVICE (DMS)
It is common to have changes made to your regular medicines or new medicines started during your hospital admission.
The hospital pharmacy team can help to ensure that you receive further advice and support with your medicines when you leave hospital.
WHAT IS REFER TO PHARMACY Discharge medicines service (DMS)?
Discharge Medicines Service (DMS) is an essential service all community pharmacies provide to patients who would benefit from extra support related to their medicines.
The Discharge Medicines Service (DMS) increases communication across different care settings.
It creates an important link between the hospital and your community pharmacy (chemist) by sharing information about your medicines on discharge.
HOW CAN REFER TO PHARMACY – discharge Medicines Service HELP YOU?
- Using the information in the referral your community pharmacist will compare your medicines at discharge to those you were taking before admission to hospital.
- When a new prescription is issued by the GP the community pharmacist will check you are taking the medications you should be taking after discharge from hospital.
- A consultation with your community pharmacist, yourself and/or carer will help ensure you understand the medicines you should now be taking.
Your community pharmacist is an expert in medicines and can help support your knowledge and understanding and will:
- Discuss any new medicines
- Explain what your medicines are for
- Explain how best to take your medicines
- Explain any side-effects you need to be aware of
- Review all the medicines that you are taking
- Address any questions you may have about your medicines
HOW DOES REFER TO PHARMACY – Discharge Medicines service work?
- During your hospital admission, the hospital pharmacy team will ask if you would like a referral to your community pharmacy
- Once we have obtained your CONSENT, the pharmacy team will record your chosen community pharmacy and start the DMS process
- Your chosen community pharmacy will receive a digital referral and a copy of your discharge information including dose changes, stopped medicines and new medicines started
- The digital referral is sent via a secure system between the hospital and your community pharmacy
Discharge Service Criteria for referral
Patients who would benefit from the service include:
- Age over 65 years
- Use compliance aids e.g. NOMAD
- Take more than 5 long-term medicines
- Changes to their medicines
- New medicines started
- Taking high-risk or critical medicines e.g. anticoagulants
This list is not exhaustive.
The hospital pharmacy team will assess your discharge prescription to confirm if you would benefit from this service
Useful Contact Numbers and Websites
Hull Royal Infirmary Pharmacy Tel: 01482 311665 / Tel: 01482 311668
Monday – Friday 8.30am – 6.00pm
Saturday 10.00am – 5.00pm
Sunday 10.00am – 4.00pm
Castle Hill Hospital Pharmacy Tel: 01482 624100 / Tel: 01482 623278
Monday – Friday 8.30am – 6.00pm
Saturday 10.00am – 5.00pm
Sunday 10.00am – 4.00pm
NHS Website: www.nhs.uk
Provides online information and guidance on all aspects of health and healthcare, to help you make decisions about your health.
For Free NHS Quit Smoking Support
Download the NHS ‘Quit Smoking App’
Alternatively you can call the free Smokefree Helpline on Tel: 0300 123 4044
If you need to go back into hospital, remember if possible, to take an
up to date list of your current medications
This service is supported and working in partnership with Community Pharmacy Humber and Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.
TES
This leaflet has been produced by the Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and is available as a download:
Download the “Refer to Pharmacy Discharge Medicines Service (DMS)” leaflet