Pharmacy

Our Pharmacy Department provides clinical pharmacy services and medications to patients and clinical areas across:

• Rockingham General Hospital
• Murray District Hospital
• Rockingham Mental Health Service, including community clinics.

It also includes a specialist Pharmacy Cancer Care Clinic.

Supporting our patients

Our hospital pharmacists support safe and effective care by:

• asking patients:
  • the name of all medications (including herbal/alternative remedies) taken at home, and where it was purchased (local pharmacy, supermarket, health food shop, etc)
  • about past allergic or unexpected medication reactions
• teaching patients what their medications are for, how to take them and what to expect, including possible side effects
• supporting patients to take their medication – for example, providing alternatives if a patient has difficulty swallowing tablets
• dispensing medications to patients on the ward and coordinating supply for their return home
• speaking to local pharmacists and doctors who need further information about a patient’s medication.

Clinical support

In addition to this direct patient support, the Pharmacy department also:

• works with clinical staff to achieve the best possible medication treatment and outcomes, taking into consideration meditation safety and effectiveness
• advises doctors on medication choice and dosages to ensure safe and quality medication use
• monitors how medications are working and reports on any side effects
• anticipates and advises on medication interactions (when two or more medications are used together)
• provides clinical staff up-to-date information about medications and responds to their medication related questions
• coordinates and monitors intravenous (IV) feed formula (parenteral nutrition) for patients unable to take food otherwise
• advises on the selection of new medications for the hospital.

Pharmacy Cancer Care Clinic

This comprehensive and innovative clinic provides specialist advice and support to patients with cancer, their families and carers, and treating teams.

Its specialist cancer pharmacists:

• educate and advise patients receiving intravenous and/or oral cancer therapies
• advocates to ensure patients and carers are always supported
• follows up by phone or in-person to ensure patients are supported through their cancer journey
• practise evidence-based medicine which empowers patients and carers to understand and make informed treatment decisions
• advise patients on supportive and alternative treatments
• support and educate patients on how to manage their cancer medication and side effects.

It also supports cancer clinicians and nurses to provide optimal patient care by:

• reviewing all medications, their use and potential interactions and side-effects
• preparing personalised treatment doses and care via drug related gene-testing (pharmacogenomics)
• developing personalised preventive strategies to prevent or reduce treatment side effects related to all cancer therapies, including radiation therapy and relatable mouth care (mucositis prevention clinic)
• ensuring cancer treatments are verified and ordered in a timely manner
• dispensing personalised medications for individual patient treatments
• reviewing and clinically assessing bloods results to ensure patients receive their treatment safely
• ensuring drug products are maintained in the best possible form (some may require refrigeration)

In an emergency

Please go to your nearest emergency department (ED). If you are having chemotherapy or immunotherapy, present your purple card to the ED staff.

Contact us

Phone the Pharmacy Department on 9599 4865.

Location

The Pharmacy department and Pharmacy Cancer Care Clinic are located on the ground floor of B Block, Rockingham General Hospital.

Opening hours

8:00am to 4.00pm, Monday to Friday.

Closed public holidays