Pharmacy and Prescribing
Taking your medication correctly is very important to ensure that it gives you the help you expect. All pharmacists are trained as medication experts and are able to answer questions you may have about your medicines. Pharmacists are always available for discussions or advice.
Your pharmacist can also provide you with advice when treating yourself and your family with non-prescription ("over-the-counter") medicines. Even though these medicines do not require a doctor's written prescription, they are still very powerful and may affect other medications.
If you have any questions or problems with your medicines please feel free to talk to your pharmacist. Pharmacists are always available for discussions or advice about medicines. Pharmacists are present in the hospital and in pharmacies(chemist shops)
The medicines which can be prescribed in Shetland are generally those that are included in the Grampian Formulary. New Medicines are considered by the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) and NHS Shetland will consider all medicines approved by the SMC. There is a link to the Grampian formulary and the Scottish Medicines Consortium below. There is also a process in Shetland for considering medicines which are unlicenced or unapproved by the SMC. The Committee responsible for overseeing Medicines use and approval in Shetland is the Drug and Therapeutics Committee.
