Adult Medical Emergency Handbook - Scottish Intensive Care Society

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Always consider telephoning the G.P. This is ESSENTIAL for
frail elderly patients and for other patients where further
medical intervention will be required e.g. patients being
commenced on warfarin.
If you are in any doubt, pick up the telephone.
DISCHARGE PRESCRIPTION WRITING
• Adhere to previous guidance on good prescription writing.
• The Patient Discharge Information Summary must be used to
prescribe all current medicines. The information required must be
accurately transcribed from the inpatient prescription chart and
the patient’s medical notes.
• The doctor responsible for the patient’s care must ensure that the Patient
Discharge Information Summary is completed in adequate time, taking
account of the patient’s planned time and date of discharge.
• At least a seven day supply of medicines must be provided, unless
a longer or shorter course of treatment is appropriate. The duration
of therapy for antibiotic or steroid courses MUST be specified.
• Review all inpatient medicines and whether they need to be
continued. Recommend review of changes to GP.
• Include (IN CAPITAL LETTERS)
Name - (Patient’s name, GP’s name, Consultant’s name)
Address - (Patient and GP’s address)
Ward / Department
Date
Signature - (name printed beside signature)
• If the patient already has his or her own supply of required
medicines at home or stored in the ward an additional supply
should not be issued from the hospital. However, the doctor
who writes the prescription, or the pharmacist, nurse or other
professional who checks the prescription, must satisfy himself
or herself that the patient’s own supply is of an adequate
quantity, quality and is correctly labelled with the current dosage
instructions. The Patient Discharge Information Summary must
be endorsed ‘patient’s own supply’.
• If the medicines are to be dispensed in the pharmacy, the
Patient Discharge Information Summary must be delivered to the
pharmacy at least 4 working hours before the patient is due to be
discharged, to allow adequate time for dispensing and delivery to
the ward.
38 adult medical emergencies handbook | NHS LOTHIAN: UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS DIVISION | 2009/11