Hospice Pharmacy Services

Ashtons is proud to be the leading provider of specialist pharmacy services to independent healthcare providers in the UK. We have more than twenty five years experience in promoting the safe and effective use of medication.

We are committed to helping you ensure your patients get the very best palliative care treatment. Our range of pharmacy services has been designed, developed and continually refined for over 25 years to help hospices throughout the UK meet the specific requirements of the Care Quality Commission (CQC), Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) and Healthcare Inspectorate Wales (HIW).

Medicines Management

Maintaining best practice and professional standards in medicines management is crucial to the delivery of high quality patient care. We ensure our clients are using medicines management policies and processes that meet these standards and are in line with regulatory requirements.
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Regulatory Compliance

Helping to maintain and develop the reputations of our partners is a key goal for Ashtons. We will also work with you to review your medicines policies and procedures to help minimise clinical risk and help you achieve best practice standards.
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Product Supply

Due to changes in legislation we are aware that many hospices are having to obtain medication from different sources. This hybrid system of supply is often overly expensive, complex and time-consuming for nursing staff. Your hospice can order everything you need from Ashtons. We truly are a one stop shop.
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Training

Our training courses are tightly focused to be relevant to the needs of doctors, nurses and healthcare assistants working for our hospice clients. They support compliance goals and help enhance skills and continuous development.
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About us

We are experts in medicines management

Our team includes an industry-leading expert in palliative care pharmacy, founder members of the Hospice Pharmacy Association, and a team of experienced palliative care pharmacists. We are focused on helping hospices to use their medication safely, effectively and in compliance with all relevant regulatory requirements.

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Our commitment to you during the COVID-19 pandemic

We are currently living in extraordinary times, but please rest assured we are doing all that we can to adapt to the situation, maintain safety among our employees and ensure our clients still receive the same high quality level of support they have come to expect. Any interruption to our services, including the supply of medication, medical products and clinical advice, could increase patient safety risks. We are committed to providing continuity for our clients, while also ensuring that the health of our employees and their families remains a top priority…

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Safer medicines administration – cytotoxic agents

Cytotoxic drugs (sometimes known as antineoplastic) describe a group of medicines that contain chemicals which are toxic to cells, preventing their replication or growth. As well as being used as chemo-therapeutic agents to treat cancer, they are also used to treat long-term conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis…

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Two important studies for palliative care

We observe that people have a reduced oral intake at the end of life due to their symptoms or general weakness and level of consciousness. There is inconclusive evidence that artificial hydration is beneficial, with arguments against being the chance of it increasing the likelihood of oedema, ascites and death rattle. Arguments for are that it may alleviate feelings of thirst and reduce the risk of agitation.

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Pre-order next winter’s (2020/2021) flu vaccine now

The annual influenza vaccination programme has become an important strategy for protecting public health by providing vulnerable people with immunisation against the virus strains likely to be the most prevalent over the coming year. The best time to have the vaccination is each autumn, from the beginning of October, as this will provide protection throughout winter – the riskiest time…

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Drug choices for the management of secretions in malignant bowel obstruction

Presentations at national conferences and courses can have a lasting influence on symptom management. Following a talk at one of the ‘Oxford’ courses(1), an increasing number of prescribers are now using ranitidine to reduce the secretions which make inoperable bowel obstruction such a challenging condition. Treatment in the past would often involve insertion of a nasogastric tube…

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A visit to the Bel Hospice in Belgrade

In September 2019, the charity Hospices of Hope invited interested supporters on an insight visit to Serbia to see the new hospice building and meet the staff and patients. I have a family connection with Belgrade as my father was a Serbian pharmacist and our family supports the charity with the intention of trying to do something specific to help this particular site. There hasn’t been such an opportunity so far but this visit seemed a great chance to find out more in person…

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Recent queries from hospices – Spring 2020

At a recent conference, it was pointed out that the bioavailability of oral cyclizine is close to 50% so the practice of using the same maximum daily dose of 150mg by subcutaneous injection or infusion may need to be rethought. This is based on a PhD thesis and small number of healthy volunteers so data is limited…

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Ashtons secures investment from LDC

We are delighted to announce that Ashtons has secured a significant investment from mid-market private equity investor LDC. The deal will help our existing management team to drive organic growth, further develop our software services, and expand our warehousing and distribution infrastructure…

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