Pharmacy Services at Flinders Medical Centre

SA Pharmacy

SA Pharmacy provides professional services to support the pharmaceutical needs of inpatients and outpatients attending Flinders Medical Centre (FMC).

Our staff are committed to ensuring that safe, rational and effective drug therapy is provided for patients.

Our services are based on a commitment to:

  • applying expert drug knowledge to optimise therapeutic drug use while minimising adverse drug effects and improving health outcomes
  • contributing to the educational mission of FMC
  • supporting and contributing to the research activities of FMC
  • providing specialist pharmacy services not readily available in the community
  • fostering and valuing staff initiative and skills, through staff development, peer support and participative approaches to service delivery

Core services

  • clinical pharmacy services
  • drug dispensing and counselling services
  • production services and quality control laboratory
  • clinical trials

Contact details

Director, SA Pharmacy, SALHN - Vaughn Eaton
Telephone: (08) 8204 4400
Fax: (08) 8204 6245

Clinical Pharmacy Services

The role of the Flinders Medical Centre (FMC) Clinical Pharmacy Service is to optimise therapeutic drug use while minimising adverse effects. The clinical pharmacists and assistants offer expert drug knowledge in specialist areas to medical, nursing and other professionals involved in patient care, to ensure the quality use of medicines.

The clinical pharmacists provide advice relating to drug interactions, medication reviews, treatment options, patient counselling, education and teaching, adverse reactions and recommendations for cost effective therapy.

Areas of specialty include:

  • Paediatrics and neonatology
  • Women's health
  • Psychiatry
  • Transplant medicine
  • Cardiac services
  • Nephrology
  • Infectious diseases (including HIV medicine)
  • Antimicrobial stewardship
  • Cancer services (medical oncology and haematology/Flinders Infusion Suite)
  • Geriatric Assessment Medical Unit
  • Respiratory
  • Vascular
  • Dermatology
  • Neurology/stroke
  • Gastroenterology
  • Emergency medicine
  • Intensive care
  • Endocrinology
  • Rheumatology
  • High Dependency Unit
  • Rehabilitation
  • Palliative Care
  • Urology

Contact details

Telephone: (08) 8204 4400 
Fax: (08) 8204 6245

Pharmacy Dispensing Service

The Flinders Medical Centre (FMC) team of pharmacists and assistants provides safe, timely and appropriate medication supplies to patients of FMC:

Outpatients

Role
Provision of pharmaceuticals to patients attending an FMC outpatient clinic who have a valid hospital prescription. A patient contribution is levied for medication supplied. Valid pension, concession or safety net entitlement cards are required to be sighted to claim a reduced fee. Prescriptions are dispensed under the PBS where appropriate.

Contact details

Outpatient Dispensary ph: (08) 8204 4230
Open Monday to Friday, 9.00am to 5.00pm
Phone to order prescriptions ph: (08) 8204 4729
Open Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 3.00pm

Inpatients

Role
An Individual Patient Supply of medication is dispensed for patient use within the hospital once their drug chart is reviewed by a pharmacist.

Contact details

Monday to Friday, 8.00am to 5.00pm
Saturday, Sunday and public holidays, 9.00am to 5.00pm
Inpatient Dispensary ph: (08) 8204 4328

Discharge patients

Role
Provision of medication if required for patients being discharged from FMC. A patient contribution is levied for medication supplied. Valid pension, concession or safety net entitlement cards are required to be sighted to claim a reduced fee. Prescriptions are dispensed under the PBS where appropriate.

Contact details

Monday to Friday, 8.00am to 5.00pm
Saturday, Sunday and public holidays, 9.00am to 5.00pm
Discharge Dispensary ph: (08) 8204 3002

Consumer Medicines Information (CMI) leaflets are available for most medications. In addition, pharmacy staff are available to counsel patients about their medications and answer any questions.

The service also supports research by providing advice, dispensing medication and monitoring drug accountability for a number of clinical trials within Southern Adelaide Local Health Network (SALHN).

Training programs are conducted for pharmacists, pharmacy graduates in training, pharmacy students, pharmacy technicians and work experience students.

Pharmacist in charge - Deputy Director, Margie Harlow

Contact details

Telephone: (08) 8204 3934
Fax: (08) 8204 5245

Pharmacy Production Services

The Flinders Medical Centre (FMC) Pharmacy Production Service manufactures a range of cytotoxic chemotherapy, sterile and non-sterile pharmaceuticals primarily for patients of FMC.

Products manufactured include:

  • mixtures and suspensions for oral and/or nasogastric use (on request)
  • creams, ointments, pastes and lotions (on request)
  • allergy challenge products
  • pre-packed tablets, capsules and mixtures
  • eye drops and selected/specialised intravenous admixtures
  • ready to administer cytotoxic infusions, injections and nasogastric products
  • total parenteral nutrition solutions for neonates, children and adults

All products are manufactured, in dedicated cleanrooms and preparation areas, by highly experienced, trained and skilled staff in a purpose designed facility. Products are prepared in accordance with the quality control and quality assurance requirements of the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration’s Code of Good Manufacturing Practice, and state and local requirements and standards.

Training programs in production techniques are conducted for pharmacists, pharmacy graduates in training, pharmacy students, pharmacy technicians and work experience students.

Contact details

Deputy Director – Michael Burns
Telephone: (08) 8204 7319 
Fax: (08) 8204 4513
Hours: Monday to Friday, 8.45am to 5.00pm
Weekends and public holidays - commencing at approximately 11.30am (closed on Christmas Day)

Pharmacy Quality Control Laboratory

Medical scientists operate from Flinders Medical Centre (FMC) Pharmacy Quality Control Laboratory perform microbiology environmental testing of cleanrooms and surrounding preparation areas in accordance with the Australian Code of Good Manufacturing Practice, Australian Pharmacy Standards and other relevant approved standards. 

Contact details

Senior Medical Scientist - Afentia Gouskos
Telephone: (08) 7074 0081 

Pharmacy Education & Training

SA Pharmacy, SALHN (Southern Adelaide Local Health Network) provides a range of educational and training opportunities for students, pharmacists, interns (pharmacy and medical) and other medical and nursing staff.

These include:

  • Pharmacy students - lectures, tutorials and hospital practice placements
  • Internship training programs - 12 month program for new pharmacy graduates - 4-5 positions offered annually
  • Pharmacists - are encouraged to pursue relevant postgraduate qualifications and many have gained or are working towards completion
  • Postgraduate pharmacy programs - lectures and tutorials are provided by a number of our staff for various universities
  • Research - SA Pharmacy is research active. A number of our pharmacists hold academic appointments at one or more university and are involved in conducting and supervising honours and research higher degree (RHD) students. Prospective RHD students are welcome to contact the division to find out about current research projects available.

Pharmacy staff attend and present at conferences and seminars convened by professional societies and other bodies throughout Australia and overseas. A weekly Continuing Education program and weekly journal club are conducted by staff and our staff regularly attend and contribute to unit meetings conducted by other divisions in the hospital.

Pharmacists provide lectures and tutorials for the Trainee Medical Officer Unit SALHN, other hospital staff, students and outside organisations. In addition, some of the clinical pharmacists participate in educational programs for specific patient groups.

Pharmacy assistants are encouraged to complete Certificate III and IV in Hospital-Health Services Pharmacy Support.

For further information on educational and training activities in SA Pharmacy please contact:

Senior Pharmacist - Clinical Educator
Telephone: (08) 8204 4400

Patient Pharmacy

Contact details

Location: Patient Pharmacy, Level 2, Flinders Medical Centre
Directions: Use Western Carpark, enter through Main Entrance
Take stairs to Level 2 and turn left at top of the stairs. Turn right then left and destination is located opposite Tea Bar.
Map: Finders Medical Centre Precinct Map (PDF 587KB)