Pharmacy

NHW Pharmacy provides the following services:

Clinical ward pharmacy - clinical pharmacists visit the wards on a daily basis. They review and dispense patients' medications and teach them about the medications being taken.
Supply of medication to wards for inpatient use
Regional hospital supply service
Comprehensive service to 40 bed Private Hospital
PBS dispensing for hospital patients
Outpatient service - Section 100 and Special Access Scheme
Non-sterile manufacture
Parenteral nutrition/other IV additive services
Cytotoxic/oncology services
Therapeutic drug monitoring
Psychiatry services - including clozapine program
Methadone program
Ongoing quality assurance program
Provide educational services to pharmacy students, pharmacist pre-registrants and medical students
Comprehensive drung information service

Pharmacy opening hours are:

Weekdays: 8.30am - 5.15pm except Thursday: 9am - 5.15pm

Weekends and Public Holidays: 10am - 12noon

Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS)

Previously, patients discharged from this hospital were given five days of medication. They then had to visit their local doctor to obtain a PBS prescription for further medications.

NHW Pharmacy Department now dispenses PBS prescriptions for hospital patients. Patients will receive up to a month's supply of medication when they are discharged and when attending this hospital as an outpatient. Patients are also required to pay the co-payment set by the Commonwealth Government, the same as at thier local pharmacy. The Safety Net Scheme also applies when receiving dispensed PBS medication from this hospital. In addition, this scheme allows non-PBS items dispensed in this hospital to be added to the Safety Net card up to the co-payment amount.

Also, as part of the this PBS system:

Patients will leave hospital with a better understanding of the medicines they are taking.
Upon patients discharge, a list of medications will also be sent by the hospital to a patient's usual doctor before their next visit.

This means your doctor will have up-to-date information about your hospital treatment and medications, improving your overall care.

Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme Brochure	type: pdf \| size: 302 kB

Three things you need to know about the PBS system:

Remember to bring your Medicare Card, Pensioner Concession Card, Health Card, Safety Net Card and your DVA Gold, White and Orange Card if you have one.
You will now get up to a month's supply of medication on discharge from hospital or when you attend as an outpatient.
The medicine you receive will cost about the same as it would at your local chemist.

This PBS system will improve your level of care as you move from the hospital, back into the community. Getting the medicine you need, will now be safer, easier and more convenient.

Concession Card Guide	type: pdf \| size: 232 kB

For more information on PBS and the Safety Net, please contact:

Northeast Health Wangaratta Pharmacy Department (03) 5722 0160

Department of Human Services/Health Insurance Commission

1800 020 613 (freecall)

1800 552 152 (hearing impaired)

131 450 (Translating and Interpreting Service)

pbs.enq@hic.gov.au