Service : Pharmacy
Service overview
Our Pharmacy team is led by our Chief Pharmacist and is made up of Pharmacists, Pharmacy Technicians, Pharmacy assistants, pre-registration/foundation trainees and a small administrative team.
We provide and work with a wide range of services across our Trust.
We procure and distribute medicines for services across Berkshire Healthcare. We dispense and distribute medicines safely and efficiently to our community health and mental health in-patient wards and our specialist out-patient clinics
We provide education and information about medicines.
We provide medicines related advice to patients and to our clinical colleagues
Managing your health
Yellow Card Scheme
You can contact the Yellow Card Scheme to report any side-effect you're having with medication. This includes vaccines, medical devices, blood products, or e-cigarettes.
The Yellow Card scheme is run by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), which safeguards medical products quality and efficacy in the United Kingdom.
Making a report helps ensure that others can be kept safe by alerting the MHRA to new safety issues as early as possible.
Choice and Medication
You can find out more about mental health conditions and medicines on our Choice and Medication website.
You must either be a patient/service user (or the carer for a patient/service user) of the named subscribing organisation below or a health care professional working under or employed by the organisation to use this website.
Medicines for children
Visit here for information about medicines in children.
NHS website for medications
Visit here for more information about your medications including common uses and side effects.
NHS website for conditions
Visit here for more information about common conditions including symptoms, causes and main treatments.
Parkinson's UK
Use collective strength to get you better support, better treatments, and better health and care. Find out more by visiting Parkinson's UK website.
MS Society
No matter how MS affects you, MS Society can support you every step of the way.
Contact us and FAQs
Our pharmacy is open Monday to Friday, from 9:00am to 5:00pm.
Please note:
On Wednesday and Thursday, from 9:30am to 5:00pm.
Prospect Park Hospital
Pharmacy
Contact number: 0118 960 5080
Post Address: RG30 4EJ
Location detailsPatient helpline
We can answer any questions you have about your medicines, including any worries you have about side effects.
You can also contact the Yellow Card Scheme to report a side-effect from your medication.
Pharmacy Patient Helpline
Contact number: 0118 960 5075 9am to 1pm, Monday to Friday. Outside of these hours, please leave a message on the answerphone.
Frequently asked questions
Should I bring all my medications when staying on an inpatient ward?
When possible, please bring in all your medication along with a copy of your repeat prescription from your GP.
This helps us to ensure you are on the best medicine for your current conditions.
During an inpatient stay, you will have the opportunity to ask the Pharmacy team about your medication.
Can I ask questions about my medication?
We can answer, or find the answers, to almost any question about your medication. Common queries we can help with include:
- what your medication is used for and how it works
- the checks that need to be before you start a new medication
- how you should take your medication
- side effects your medicine might cause
- how your medicine should be stored
- what will happen if you stop taking your medicine
Will I be given any medicines when I’m ready to leave an inpatient unit?
Will I be given any medicines when I’m ready to leave an inpatient unit?
When you are ready to go home, you will be provided with at least two weeks’ worth of medication, unless your doctor has decided something different.
The directions on how to take your medication will be on the label. Check that you know when to take it and how that will fit in with your schedule when you get home.
You will also be given a copy of your discharge letter. Another copy goes to your GP.
If you have any questions, please ask, we are here to help.
We can also help you with
Is there any information for friends, family and carers?
If you’re a family member/carer or you look after someone, there’s practical, financial, and emotional support available to you from a range of local communities and national organisations.
How do I request an interpreter?
We can provide language translation and interpretation support whenever you visit or contact us.
Tell our staff which language you prefer to use, and we will make sure the right communication support is in place for your assessment and treatment. Please let us know as early as possible so we can ensure the appropriate translation or interpreting support is available.
We offer a range of professional services to ensure everyone can understand and be understood:
- telephone interpreting
- video remote interpreting (VRI)
- face‑to‑face interpreting
- written translation
- British Sign Language (BSL) interpreting
How can I get information in an accessible format?
Anyone with a disability, impairment, or sensory loss has the right to receive information in a format that meets their needs. Under the Accessible Information Standard (AIS)—a legal requirement for all health and adult social care providers—we must ensure that people who use our services, including carers and families, can understand the information we provide and communicate effectively with us.
We can offer information in a range of accessible formats, including:
- British Sign Language (BSL)
- large print
- braille
- audio
- easy Read
- text message
- face‑to‑face support with a carer or advocate present
If you need information in any of these formats, please tell a member of our team and we will make sure your communication needs are met.
Are service dogs allowed to my appointment?
Yes. You are welcome to bring your registered service animal, such as a guide dog, hearing dog, medical alert dog, or other trained assistance dog to your appointment.
These animals are recognised as essential support and are permitted in most areas of our services.
To help us prepare, please let the team know before your appointment if you will be attending with a service animal. This allows us to make sure the environment is safe and comfortable for you, your animal, and other patients.
Please note that service animals may not be able to enter certain restricted clinical areas for safety or infection‑control reasons, but we will always work with you to find an appropriate alternative.
Treating our team with respect.
Respect is important.
We will be polite and kind and we expect that you treat our staff in the same way.
Abuse, hate and discrimination against our staff is unacceptable.
We will take strong action against anyone who is verbally, racially, physically, or sexually abusive to them.
This includes contacting the police to prosecute, and stopping future access to our healthcare services.
Related services
We work closely with all our services. You can find the one that’s right for you by browsing our Service A–Z.
Researching medicines
We’re committed to researching and improving the way we use medicines.
We work closely with our Research and Development team on clinical trials that include medicines and carry out our own research on medicines related topics.
These include attitudes and processes around prescribing and how to make them more efficient and safer.
External support
Care and support
There's some help and support you can get for free that's available to everyone. Visit the NHS website to learn more.
Age UK
Age UK provides a range of free services for people aged 50 and over in Berkshire, including practical advice, a handyperson service, and support for carers.
Royal college of Psychiatrists
The RCP website has more information on support and care through medication
Mind
Mind work to create a mentally healthy society by providing information, support, and campaigns to tackle mental health stigma and improve access to mental health services in England and Wales
Young Minds
If you're thinking about taking medication for your mental health, Young Minds have information and advice that can help.
Rethink Mental Illness
Rethink is a a charity provider of mental health services in England. Visit their website to learn how to deal with problems with mental health medication.
NICE
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) helps practitioners and commissioners get the best care to people, fast, while ensuring value for the taxpayer.
HeadMeds
Is a website that has been specifically designed to provide information for young people about mental health medicines.
SPS - Specialist Pharmacy Service
The first stop for professional medicines advice.