New Medication Service

New Medicine Service (NMS) is a free NHS service from Darling’s Pharmacy that helps you get the most out of your newly prescribed medication.

Our goal is to provide the support you need to understand your condition and how taking your new medicine can help relieve your symptoms.
Although this NHS service is only available in England and the Isle of Man, Darling’s Pharmacy can advise and assist you with new medicines you are taking. Just come over and ask.

Who is the service for?

This service is aimed at customers who have been prescribed a new medication and who may find it difficult to understand when and how to take it correctly. This includes those taking medication to:

• Lung conditions, such as COPD, chronic bronchitis and emphysema
• Conditions where you take a medicine to control the way your blood clots (anticoagulants or antiplatelet medication)
• Asthma
• High blood pressure
• Type 2 Diabetes

How does the service help me?

If you have recently been diagnosed or have lived for a long time with any of the conditions listed above, it can be overwhelming to get a new medicine to prescribe a medicine to control your symptoms.

Your doctor will explain how and when you take your medicines. It is very important that you follow this advice. However, you may have questions after you start taking your medicine, mainly because it may take some time for you to feel the effects. In some cases, it is completely normal for side effects to occur when your body gets used to the new medicine. It is important to know as much as possible so that you know what to expect.

The New Medication Service can help here. Darling’s Pharmacy are drug specialists; We can support and advise you and answer any questions or concerns so that your new medicine becomes a normal part of your daily routine.

If you live anywhere else in the UK you can continue to receive support and advice on new medicines from our pharmacists. 

How does the service work?

Step 1 – Signing up the New Medication Service

• Speak to a pharmacy representative to determine if you are eligible for the New Medicine Service
• Then we will make an appointment with you to discuss your new medicine with our pharmacist. This happens in 7 to 14 days and can be done personally in the pharmacy or by phone – the choice is yours

Step 2 – your first appointment

• We’ll discuss your condition and find out how to use your new medicine.
• This is your chance to speak about any concerns or problems you face and we will help you find solutions.
• Our pharmacists can also suggest lifestyle changes to help make your medicine more effective.
• Then we will make another appointment for a follow-up interview within 14 to 21 days.

Step 3 – your follow-up appointment

• This appointment can again be made in person or by phone
• Let us make sure that everything is going well and that you are satisfied with your medicine.
• This is another way for you to ask additional questions about your new medicine.

Keep your family doctor up to date

This is an NHS service. We inform your family doctor about your participation in the service and also report on the results of our discussions. This is very important as it will help you find a unified approach to your treatment and keep you informed of your concerns and the way we approach them.

IMPORTANT: It is important that you always take your medicine. If you are not sure, contact our pharmacist or doctor. Never simply stop treatment as this can have negative effects.