Previous Next

Frere Hospital has pharmaceutical services unit which is responsible for ensuring that medicines are available at all times throughout the hospital. The annual budget for medicines is R 30M. The unit handles selection, procurement, distribution and use of medicines in accordance with all the legislative framework that governs the provision of health services in the country..

Operational Units

• Pharmacy stores: manages the supply of medicines to all hospital units
• Inpatient pharmacy: services the patients that are admitted in the wards.
• Outpatient pharmacy: services the ambulatory patients who visit the hospital daily
• ARV pharmacy: services those who are affected and also offer support services.
• Down -referral pharmacy: services chronic patients who are being reviewed every 6

Months. The main function is to dispense the chronic medication and deliver it to the patient’s local clinic.

Academic

The academic affairs of the unit are co-ordinated by the Clinical Pharmacy Unit within pharmaceutical services.

• Frere Hospital pharmaceutical services unit is an accredited training facility by the South African Pharmacy Council.
• Train basic and post-basic pharmacist assistants.
• Offers internship programme for pharmacists.
• Accredited with Rhodes University to offer Doctor of Pharmacy Programme. The Programme attracts the Best and the Brightest to East London. It is the only Programme of its kind in Sub-Saharan Africa.
• Operational Research to facilitate evidence-based-medicine decisions.
• Outreach activities to promote healthy living in the communities.

Governance   

The enabling governance structure is the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee (PTC). It is chaired by the Senior Clinician from Internal Medicine and co-chaired by the Pharmaceutical Services Manager. The secretariat of the committee is constituted by the clinical pharmacists. The Chief Executive Officer and Director of Clinical Govenance are ex-officio members of the committee. Each clinical discipline have a representative in the committee.

PATIENT-CENTRED CARE

At Frere Hospital our patients are at the centre of our care. The aim of our multi-disciplinary teams of  dedicated health professionals is to ensure that you have the best health outcomes possible:

• Optimal improvement of function
• Good  pain management
• Minimal risk of adverse events
• Acceptable minimum length  of stay

Delivering safe, effective and reliable care at a level that is comparable with world class standards and that addresses the burden of disease in our region is our core business.

Patients are at the heart of what we do. We therefore invest our time reviewing our patients' comments about Frere services with the express intent of understanding what our patients need and value. The Frere website and facebook page is thus another link with you, our patients. Ultimately, we use all of this feedback to continously improve the quality of the services we provide so  that all our patients will have a positive experience at  Frere:

• Friendly, helpful and caring staff
• Highly qualified and experienced health professional and support teams
• A clean facility and reliable infrastructure
• Hotel and support services of a comfortable standard
• Acceptable waiting times
• A continuum of care across all service units

Large sections of Frere have been renovated and upgraded (see "Projects" page).  In these service units our facilities are modern in design boasting the latest medical technology so that your nurses and doctors have the best aids in diagnosing your condition,  initiating your treatment and monitoring your response to treatment. Change is visible throughout the hospital and significant budgets are allocated to replacing, upgrading and keeping abreast of the advances in medical technology in ALL units. 

Your stay with us should be as relaxed as possible; as we help you to recover in comfort. We strive to make every patient in our care feel that he/she is being treated as an individual. Despite the pressures the sector sometimes has to work under, you can expect to be shown respect, kindness and compassion at every step of your journey.

DEDICATED TEAM OF EXPERTS

At Frere you’ll find that our highly trained clinical staff conduct themselves with honesty, integrity and fairness in executing their duties and in their personal conduct.

Working alongside your consultant, and supported by staff trained in a variety of disciplines, our clinical teams will work together to assist you to return to your everyday life as best as possible. Our clinical support teams are not only competent but demonstrate empathy and commitment to heping you to achieve your optimum functioning at home and at work. 

Our pharmacists ensure cost-effective medication prescribed by your doctor is available at all times. And we take pride in providing personalised advice and support to our patients in under 45minutes at our pharmacy out-patient unit. 

Behind the scenes, Frere has a wide range of other professional role players that ensure the clinical teams are able to provide the best care to you. These services include: Facilities Management; (Engineering; Medical Technology; Soft Services-laundry and housekeeping; grounds; waste management; transport; food services); Financial Management; Human Resource management and development;  General  Administration (portering; patient administration) and ICT. 

FULL 24/7 SUPPORT 

Whether you may need admission urgently, or have an existing health problems, our team of consultants and medical professionals can deal with a wide range of complex medical and surgical problems. All our medical and surgical services are supported by our state-of-the-art imaging department and modern critical care units; combining the highest quality of critical care nursing with 24/7 access to specialist care and support services.

PATIENT SAFETY PROGRAM

Frere Hospital implements an effective patient safety program as part of assuring quality of care. This program aims to minimise adverse events such as patient  falls, Hospital Acquired Infections and Pressure Ulcers. For example, patients that are recovering from illness or surgery are known to have a higher risk of having a fall. As part of our patient safety program we have introduced a 'Call Don't Fall' system to encourage patients to call for assistance when they need to be mobile. Information and advice is available from the nursing team.

The hospital has an onsite kiosk that offers a variety of sit down and take away meals. The kiosk is located on the South side of the hospital in front of the hospital main building. Operating Hours: Monday to Thursday - 7H00 to 17H00 / Friday to Sunday: - 07H00 to 15H00.