Information for patients
On this page:
Getting the best from your medicines
At St George’s, we offer an outpatient service to see people who are taking large numbers of medicines (sometimes called polypharmacy).
The clinic is run by clinical pharmacologists, doctors with a special interest in medicines. They make sure that people are taking the safest and most effective medicines for them.
What are the appointments for?
Your appointment with a clinical pharmacologist will give you an opportunity to review all your medicines. There may be some that are working well, others that are causing side effects, some that you don’t need any more and new medicines that you are not taking that could help.
Before the appointment
Please make a list of all the medicines you take including any prescription medicines or any you buy from a shop or chemist, such as herbal remedies.
You are welcome to ask a friend or family member to join the appointment if you wish.
To prepare for the appointment, your doctor will have read your medical notes to check that your medical conditions and the medicines you take match up.
Questions to think about before your appointment
It may be helpful to think about the answers to these questions before your first appointment. You may decide to discuss these questions beforehand with a friend or family member.
-
What would you like to get out of the appointment?
-
Are there any medicines that cause you problems or side effects?
-
Do you have any difficulty taking any of your medicines?
-
What questions would you like to ask about your medicines?
During the Appointment
Your clinic appointment will be face-to-face or telephone (either option is available when booking) and will take about 30 minutes.
The first thing we’ll do is find out what matters to you so we can work together to make decisions about your medicines.
After our discussion we’ll write down what was said so you have a record of the conversation.
After the Appointment
If we decide together that your medicines should change, we will let your GP know so they can change your prescription.
We will offer you a follow-up appointment if needed.