Pharmacy and Dispensing

Service Summary

The pharmacy directorate at Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust is a progressive and forward thinking department which is well respected within the Trust.  It works closely with the local Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) to improve medicines optimisation across the interface. Pharmacists work closely with an experienced team of ward based technicians to provide a high standard of medicines optimisation for our patients.

We use the Ascribe (eMIS) Pharmacy Computer System with Electronic Medicines Management and are in the process of implementing the Cerner Millennium Electronic Patient Record system (EPR) across the Trust which will transform the way in which we work. We are building a team of pharmacists and technicians working within multidisciplinary teams in the community to support patients in intermediate care and residential/nursing care homes. 

We are helping patients/carers to manage their medicines more effectively resulting in a reduction in readmission to hospital. The pharmacy directorate has strong links with the University of Huddersfield which provides a pharmacy undergraduate course. The directorate has pharmacy departments at, the Calderdale Royal Hospital in Halifax and Huddersfield Royal Infirmary. The following services are provided:

  • An extensive clinical pharmacy service
  • In-patient dispensing including clinical trials
  • Outpatient dispensing – provided by Rowlands Pharmacy
  • Aseptic dispensing services
  • Medicines information
  • Procurement  and distribution of medicines

Pharmacists work closely with directorates within the Trust to help manage the safe and effective use of medicines. The Trust has a Medicines Management Committee which works with local Clinical Commissioning to ensure that medicines are managed across the whole health economy to maximise safety, clinical and cost effectiveness.

The Team

The pharmacy directorate employs a wide variety of staff:

  • Pharmacists – who undertake clinical duties on the wards and in the pharmacy departments.
  • Pharmacy technicians – who are involved in the dispensing of drugs and ward based duties.
  • Assistant technical officers – who are involved in dispensing and making sure that ward’s stocks of pharmaceuticals are maintained.
  • Support services/administration staff – who support the clinical and technical staff and provide the pharmaceutical procurement service.

Where to find us

  • Calderdale Royal Hospital - situated on the ground floor near the main outpatients department.
  • Huddersfield Royal Infirmary - situated on the basement floor.

Who to contact to find out more

Further information about the pharmacy directorate can be obtained from:

Click here to contact Pharmacy using their contact form.