Self-administration of Medicines

What is self-administration of medicines?

Self-administration of medicines or self-medication is when you or your carer are given responsibility for administering your own medicines whilst in hospital.

What is the reason for self-medication?

• taking your own medication helps you to maintain your confidence and independence whilst in hospital
• taking your own medication when you need to may be better for you
• helps the ward team identify any problems you might have with your medicines, so support can be provided prior to you going home.

What does self-medication involve?

You will be assessed by a member of the ward team to make sure it is safe for you to administer your own medicines. At first, you may be supervised by ward staff when self-medicating. This is to ensure that you are selecting the right medication and know how to take it. The nursing staff will support you and work with you to resolve any problems. Once ward staff are confident that you are taking your medication correctly, then if you would like, you may take your medicines independently, just like you would at home.

Ward staff will check that you have taken your regular medication as prescribed and check if you have taken any ‘as required’ medication. This is to ensure that the administration is recorded on the hospital electronic medicines prescribing and administration system or paper chart. If you decide to self-medicate, the ward staff and pharmacy team will still be able to help or answer any questions about your medication. If you change your mind and no longer want to self-medicate, this is not a problem, please tell the ward staff.

What if I become unwell, or need to have an anaesthetic?

If you become unwell or if you need to have a procedure with an anaesthetic, the nursing staff may decide that they will take over giving you your medicines until you recover.

What will happen to my own medicines?

Your own medicines will be kept safely in your bedside locker. You will be given access to the locker. Please do not share the code to the locker with anyone else. Please do not share your medicines with anyone else. If you have a controlled drug medication, then for safety and legal reasons, whilst you are in hospital, this has to be kept in the ward-controlled drug cabinet and will need to be administered by ward staff.

What if I start a new medication?

The ward staff will order a supply of medication from the hospital pharmacy.

When you leave

The hospital doctor needs to prescribe your medication to take home. The prescription is then checked by a pharmacist and medicines ordered from the pharmacy department, if necessary. We will ensure you have adequate supplies of medicines to take home or you may have told us that you already have sufficient supplies of your medicines at home.

Please ask for your medicines to be explained to you, especially any changes. You can ask the pharmacy team or the nurse discharging you from the hospital.

You will be given an up to date list of your prescribed medicines, which you can take to your GP and your community pharmacy. A copy will be sent to your community pharmacy together with information about any changes. This is to ensure that your medicines are right following discharge from the hospital.

Useful contacts

If you have any further questions about your discharge medicines after you have left the hospital please telephone the hospital pharmacy on 01305 255294, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm or speak to your community pharmacist.

About this leaflet

Author: Christine Dodd, Principal Pharmacist – Medication Safety and Governance
Written: December 2015, updated March 2020
Updated and approved: March 2024
Review date: March 2027
Edition: v3

If you have feedback regarding the accuracy of the information contained in this leaflet, or if you would like a list of references used to develop this leaflet, please email patientinformation.leaflets@dchft.nhs.uk