We are currently experiencing some technical issues with our inbound and outbound telephone lines which means that some patients may not be able to get through to our teams.  We are investigating this issue as a priority with our telephony provider.  During this time, we would ask that if patients need to contact us with an urgent enquiry, they use our contact form until we have resolved this issue.https://www.sciensus.com/help/help-and-support/#patient-contact

Managing my medication

Your delivery may include one or more packages containing your medication. Each package will have a sticker or label telling you how your medicines should be stored (fridge or room temperature). Some medications should be stored at room temperature while others will need to be stored in the fridge.  

It’s important you follow these instructions and store your medication at the required temperature as soon as possible. Further specific storage information for your treatment can also be found in the product information leaflet inside the medication box 

Just follow these simple steps to store your medication safely: 

Fridge storage (cold chain) products 

  • If your product requires fridge storage, store within a fridge in the home, not an outhouse or garage; this will help reduce the risk of the medication going outside of the intended storage conditions 
  • Set your fridge to maintain a temperature of 2–8 degrees Celsius 
  • Store your medication on the middle shelf of the fridge avoiding contact with the back and sides to reduce the risk of freezing the medication 
  • If using your own fridge, please protect your medicines from food spills – for example, by storing your medication inside a clean and dry plastic container 
  • Please rotate your medication or ancillary stock to make sure you use the products with the earliest expiry date first 
  • It is important to ensure your medication and ancillaries are always kept out of the reach and sight of children and vulnerable adults 

Room temperature (ambient) products 

  • Store in a cool, dry, safe place. Ensure they are always kept out of the reach and sight of children and vulnerable adults. 

If at any point your medication is stored outside of the recommended storage temperature, then please contact our Patient Services Team. They will then pass your call to one of our Pharmacy Team who will be able to offer you guidance and advice.

Power outages happen for a variety of different reasons. Here’s some advice on how to keep your medicines cold if they are stored in a fridge:

If you receive prior warning that your home may experience a power outage, there are some things you can do to ensure your medicines are kept at the right temperature:

 Try not to open your fridge, where your medicines are stored, after losing electricity unless it is absolutely necessary.   Refrigerators and freezers will usually maintain a constant temperature for around twelve to twenty-four hours, depending on the model and whether you open their doors.  If the power outage does not last long, your unit will maintain its interior cold temperature if you do keep its doors closed.

Keep a few ice packs in your freezer so that if the power is not restored after twelve to twenty-four hours, you can use the ice packs from the freezer and put them in a cool box/bag with your medicines. This should keep the medicines cold for at least 48 hours.

In an ideal situation, you should probably have had your power restored by this point. If you have not, you should contact us to seek advice.

Please make sure you don’t use your medication beyond the expiry date shown on the packaging. If you have medication that is out of date, please contact us or take it to your local pharmacy who will be able to dispose of it safely for you.

You can safely dispose of all your used needles, syringes, and pen devices in your sharps bin. Make sure you order your new sharps bin before the full line is reached. You’ll need to shut and seal it fully yourself to prevent any injury or risk to yourself or others. You should then sign and date it and give it to your delivery driver who will dispose of it safely for you.

It’s important the sharps bin is fully closed and sealed before handing it to your delivery driver otherwise they won’t be able to take it.

If you experience any difficulty when administering your medication, or problems with injection devices, please call our Pharmacy Team immediately on 01283 501 390 who will discuss the issue and advise you on the next course of action.

It is important that you let us know of any problems you are having straight away because it may be possible for us to talk you through how to reset your device and administer a successful injection.

If your referring centre has told you the dose of your medication is changing, then please let us know so we can request a new prescription for you. We’ll then contact you to arrange a new delivery. You’ll get a “notification of dose change” card in your delivery. Please follow the instructions on this card. If you weren’t expecting a dose change, please contact our Patient Services Team who will confirm with Pharmacy.

If, for any reason, your referring centre decides to temporarily pause your treatment, change your dose, or stop your treatment, please let us know as soon as possible. This is so we can change or cancel your scheduled medication delivery.

For most therapy areas, we aim to deliver your medicines when you have two weeks buffer stock remaining from your previous delivery, so you do not miss a dose.  We will contact you in the two weeks prior to this delivery to arrange your next delivery. Maintaining two weeks’ worth of buffer stock allows contingency time to re-arrange any deliveries in the event of a delay.  We will contact you to arrange this delivery however, if you have any concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us via your usual contact method.  In the event your medicine supplies are running low into your buffer stock, and a successful delivery has not been made or planned, please do contact us on 0333 103 9499 and use the priority line.

Please let us know as soon as possible if you move to a new address or change any of your contact details such as your mobile number and email address. That way we can keep your records up to date and can contact you to arrange your scheduled delivery.  

You can update your details at any time by contacting our Patient Services Team through the ‘contact us’ web form (choose I want to change my details option) or by phone. 

During your welcome call you can nominate a designate or representative, however this can be done at any time via our Patient Services Team.  If your representative does need to speak with us at any time, they will be required to answer the relevant security questions prior to any further discussion.