Pharmacy in Scotland

Best Practice Case Study

Transforming discharge pathways

A pharmacy led pilot service has been established in NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde which allows patients to leave hospital faster and be supported in the discharge period by their community pharmacist.

This links with both local and national drivers for change, including “Achieving Excellence in Pharmaceutical Care” as well as unscheduled care actions. These all promote care to be delivered in the community, closer to patients’ homes.

Before the service was introduced, all patients were prescribed discharge medication directly from the hospital pharmacy, and the patient would have to access their GP practice for medicines reconciliation and necessary prescription changes.

The new cross-sector transformation of medicines discharge pathway allows patients, where appropriate, to be discharged from hospital directly to their community pharmacy for medicines supply, reconciliation and to discuss medication changes.

The project has been transformational. On average, patients are discharged from hospital around two hours earlier under the new pathway. Over 90% of patients who have been managed on the new pathway have provided positive feedback.

Closer working relationships across pharmacy sectors have also been established as a result of this project.

DOWNLOAD THIS CASE STUDY AS A PDF