"Patient care and dispensing of medication"

Anything else?

My mother was rushed into hospital on the evening of Tuesday 12th November with what the paramedics diagnosed as a 'raging infection'. This has been diagnosed as pneumonia. I took in with me a list of her (extensive) medication and a week's supply. This includes Warfarin (needed owing to a blood clot in her leg after her last operation at SRH, that broke away and dislodged in her lung, causing damage there - could possibly have been prevented had she been given a surgical stocking to wear at the time). Mum also needs other medication such as Thyroxine and Simvastatin. Today, Thursday afternoon in Ward E51, mum told us that she had not been given any of her usual medication for the second day. Having first enquired about the reason for this at the main desk where my six-foot frame must have clearly seemed invisible as I needed to wait some minutes before someone eventually acknowledged my presence - only to be told by the first person "I dont work on this ward" I was however pointed to a pleasant nurse in hte corridor who was clearly very busy, and who did try to help and said she would enquire. A quarter of an hour later, still nothing, so I went back to the desk. No nurses just a group of young people who just were not interested in me. So I sought out this very busy nurse who was able to show me what was on the computer system - very little I could recognise of mum's repeat prescriptions. But, rightly I suppose, she said that this was all she could dispense, and she hailed a passing young 'doctor' at the end of the corridor. He said that he'd seen my list but it hadn't been processed though he'd see to it straightaway and "it'll be on the system asap". He then passed the list to another 'doctor' sitting by the computer who muttered something like there are more serious cases. [Sorry, wish I'd caught his exact words and asked for his name. I will next time]. Concerned about mum's Warfarin dosage which needs to be frequently regulated, and which will need some serious modification owing to the high dosage of antibiotics and lack of her usual essential medication I have contacted the anticoagulant unit to record my concern. Another copy of mum's medication has now been emailed to my sisterto be handed to the desk this evening. I would feel that mum was in safe hands if I could speak to someone who had a grasp of mum's full condition. And, if my request to speak to the pharmacist was followed up. Let's see what I find out tomorrow at 2pm