What is a homecare medicines service?
The NHS work collaboratively with a number of homecare providers to deliver certain prescribed medicines, including injected medicines, directly to a patient’s home (or another agreed address) rather than requiring collection from a hospital pharmacy. The service is arranged by the hospital clinical team, not your general practitioner (GP).
How does the service generally work?
- You will receive a welcome call 3-4 weeks after your hospital appointment to arrange your first delivery and, if applicable, training on how to give yourself an injection. Time frames may vary depending on whether you require telephone counselling, a nurse training visit and whether any medicines governance paperwork is required.
- Your first delivery will include a welcome pack with full contact details for your provider.
- Before each delivery, the provider will normally contact you in advance to arrange a convenient time. Some homecare providers also have a patient app that can be installed on a mobile phone.
- You should continue to attend any outpatient clinic, blood test or scan appointments required by your hospital team to remain eligible for the medication.
Deliveries
Deliveries are typically made by a homecare delivery driver every 8-12 weeks, often in an unmarked vehicle, to your home or another address you have agreed with the provider (for example, a workplace). The frequency of deliveries is set by your hospital clinical team and can be adjusted once stable on treatment.
Clinical waste
If you are on an injectable medication, you will be provided with a sharps bin for the safe disposal of pre-filled syringes/pre-filled pens. Sharps bins are usually collected by the delivery driver and should be kept securely closed and out of reach of children until collection.
Storage
Many homecare medicines need to be stored in a fridge once received. Always check the storage instructions provided with your medicine and keep all medicines in a safe place, out of reach of children.
Travelling abroad
If you plan to travel abroad, contact your homecare provider well in advance (generally at least 4 weeks) so they can make sure your medicine supply and storage needs are met while you are away. The homecare providers can supply a travel letter.
Confidentiality
Homecare providers take the security of your personal data seriously. Your details will not be shared with anyone else without your permission, except where this is explained to you by your provider, usually within their welcome pack.
Homecare provider contact details
Contact details for the Rheumatology homecare providers are listed below. Your provider will also give you their full contact information during your welcome call and in your welcome pack. In the case you have any difficulty getting in contact, please consult the homecare website as contact details regularly update.
| Homecare provider | Contact email | Contact number |
| Alcura | patientservices@alcura-health.co.uk | 01604 433 500 |
| HealthNet | Online contact form | 08000 833 060 |
| Lloyds Clinical Pharmacy Homecare (LCPH) | enquiries@lloydsclinical.com | 0345 2636 135 |
| Sciensus | Online contact form | 0333 103 9499 |
| Pharmaxo | homecare@pharmaxo.com | 01225 302188 |
When to contact your homecare provider.
- You would like to change an agreed delivery date, time or location.
- You are running low on supplies and have not been contacted to arrange a delivery.
- A delivery has not arrived when expected.
- You have a query about your delivery, or about a nurse visit if one has been arranged.
Hospital contact details
Contact details for the Rheumatology homecare providers are listed below. Please note that response times for the rheumatology advice line vary and this therefore line should not be used for urgent queries.
You can also contact the medical secretaries (contact details for each Consultant and detailed within clinic letters and are available here Rheumatology – NHS Lothian | Our Services and the biologics admin team for logistical queries that have not been resolved directly with the homecare provider.
| Hospital team | Contact number |
| Rheumatology Telephone advice line | 0131 537 1405 |
| Rheumatology Biologics admin | 0131 537 2899 |
