The pharmacy department provides a comprehensive service to all of Moorfields' clinics, including those in our satellite locations. Located on the ground floor at the City Road hospital, pharmacy is often the last but essential stop for patients during their hospital visit - around 95% of our patients will receive a prescription.
Our dispensary supplies items for both inpatients and outpatients. This includes:
The pharmacy dispensary is fully computerised to ensure the provision of a fast and efficient patient service. The average wait for an outpatient prescription is about 15 minutes. There is seating for just over 20 patients.
The pharmacy dispenses prescription medication to people from our many sub-specialist clinics. Our main responsibility is to ensure that the medication you receive is correct and safe for you.
We deal on a daily basis with queries from patients about their medication and will do our best to answer your questions and to help you understand how to use eye drops and eye ointments, for example.
Please be aware that you might be given a prescription after your treatment in one of our clinics. Your prescription can be collected from our on-site pharmacy at the City Road hospital, but unless you have an exemption certificate, the standard prescription charge will apply.
When you come to the pharmacy we will need to:
9am- 7pm, Monday to Friday
9am- 5:30pm, Saturday
Closed on Sundays and Bank Holidays
Moorfields Private, Bath Street: 9am- 8pm, Monday to Friday; closed on Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays
The policy at Moorfields Eye Hospital is for prescribed medications to be collected from the hospital pharmacy only if your child’s condition is urgent, or if the medication is a specialist medicine.
If your child’s condition is non-urgent and treatment is not required immediately, the hospital doctor will ask your child’s GP to write a prescription for your child’s medication.
The hospital doctor or prescriber will write out a prescription for you to take to your child’s GP. Please take this prescription to your child’s GP as it contains the information for him or her to issue a new prescription, which can then be dispensed by your local community pharmacy.
The GP will also receive an information letter in the post up to seven days after your hospital visit.
If your child’s condition urgently needs treatment such as postoperative discharge medicine, medicine that needs to start within a few days, or highly specialist medicines, a supply for up to four weeks will be prescribed and dispensed by the hospital pharmacy.
If your child needs to be on the medication for longer than four weeks, the doctor will write the full instructions to your GP on the prescription form and in the information letter sent by post to explain the dose, how often to use the medication and how long your child needs to remain on the medication.
Please give the white copy of this prescription to your GP, so that he or she can prescribe the medication to be continued.
If you need a repeat prescription for your child’s medication, you should get one from your GP, as you will be unable to get a repeat prescription from the outpatient department.
In this section, you will find information on patient eye care medications, including useful advice on how to put in your eye drops, and where to go to get your medications.
There are currently UK-wide shortages of some eye medications.
Our pharmacy team is receiving an increased number of calls and emails from patients as a result of these shortages, which we are unable to respond to. We are communicating with patients via our website, advising them to ask their local pharmacy about alternative options. Please direct patients to their local pharmacy and not to Moorfields.
The following section lists affected stock and timescales for resolution.
Please note, if the medication is not listed in the table – there is not a shortage.
Please be aware that at present there are very limited/no UK supplies Azyter® 15 mg/g, eye drops, solution in single-dose container, Diamox SR® 250mg Prolonged-release Capsules, and ocular lubricating eye ointments.
Azyter® 15 mg/g, eye drops, solution in single-dose container
Due back date: mid-February 2024
Diamox SR® 250mg Prolonged-release Capsules
Due back date: 28 February 2024
Ocular lubricating eye ointments Hylo Night, Hycosan Night
Due back date: Mid-February 2024
Please note, our nurse-led helpline should not be used to request repeat prescriptions, or to ask advice on medication.
We are receiving a high volume of calls to this line from patients with medicine queries, which is delaying care to patients who need important after care guidance, following treatment at our clinics.
If you have any queries about your eye care medication, please speak to your local pharmacist.
For eye conditions, such as Glaucoma, it is vital for you to keep up with your eye drops to help you manage the condition.
Please watch our short video for tips on how to correctly administer any drops you may be required to use.
Before putting in your eyedrops, first check that the drops are still in date.
If you were using a new bottle of eyedrops also check that the seal is not broken make sure you're putting the correct drops into the correct eye.
Let the correct time to instill your drops. Place a clean tissue on a flat surface wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water invert the bottle two or three times to ensure the contents are evenly mixed together.
Remove the lid and place it on the tissue tilt your head back, pull down your lower lid and form a small pocket. Make sure that the tip of the bottle does not come into contact with your skin or eyelashes as it might contaminate the drops.
Look up and gently squeeze the bottle so that a single drop falls into the pocket made by your lower lid.
Blink the drops in press lightly on the inner corner of your eye this enables more of the drop to be absorbed and not run away down your tear duct.
Wipe any excess fluid from your closed eyelids with a clean tissue.
Recap your drop bottle if you have more than one drop to instill. Wait at least 5 minutes before putting in another drop.
Wash your hands with soap and water to remove any traces of medication.
If you have any problems please contact our nurse led helpline service Moorfields Direct on 0207 566 2345