Pharmacy Services
Medicines Information (MI)
The Medicines Information service provides information and advice on all aspects of drug therapy. Our aim is to support the safe, effective and efficient use of medicines within the Trust, providing evidence-based information and advice on the therapeutic use of medicines, as well as and support to enable Trust staff to access information resources available at ward level.
Currently staffed by one full-time Medicines Information pharmacist and two part-time pharmacists, we answer between 100-150 enquires every month on a variety of topics including dosing and administration, adverse effects, availability, use of medicines in pregnancy and breast-feeding, and many others. Together with a wide range of in-house specialist pharmaceutical information resources including reference texts, medical and pharmaceutical periodicals, in-house files and electronic databases, we also have access to additional specialised information services from outside the Trust.
Who can use our service?
The service is available to NUTH staff and patients who have queries relating to treatment received from our Trust. We also aim to provide help with enquiries from other healthcare professionals regarding Trust-related medicines issues.
If you are a patient of the Trust or a healthcare professional and have an enquiry regarding medication received from or recommended by the Trust, please contact us at the number provided below. Other members of the public should contact NHS Direct.
Contact us
Patients:
Medicines Helpline (for patients of the Trust): 0191 2823016
Monday to Friday 9:00am - 1:00pm
Healthcare Professionals:
Telephone enquiries: 0191 282 5398
email: drug.information@nuth.nhs.uk
Fax: (0191) 282 0397
Office hours:
Monday to Friday 8:30am - 5:00pm
For urgent enquires out of hours (NUTH staff only):
Contact the Emergency Duty Pharmacist via the Trust switchboard.
For postal enquiries, please write to:
Medicines Information, Pharmacy Department, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Queen Victoria Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4LP
Other contacts
NHS Direct
NHS Direct is a national resource for members of the public to access help and advice on health-related matters, and is not part of the NUTH Medicines Information Service.
For members of the public
Tel: 0845 4647 (24 hours)
Regional Medicines Information Service
The Regional Medicines Information Service is provided regionally and is not part of the NUTH Medicines Information Service.
For NHS Health Professionals Only (Northern and Yorkshire Region)
Tel: 0191 260 6198 (office hours only)
Fax: 0191 260 6192 (office hours only)
e-mail: nyrdtc.di@ncl.ac.uk
Poisons Information Service
A national service, the Poisons Information Service is not part of the NUTH Medicines Information Service.
For NHS Health Professionals only
Tel: 0844 892 0111 (24 hours)
