Discharge Medicines Service (DMS)
The Discharge Medicines Service (DMS) is an Essential NHS service designed to ensure safer transitions of care for patients leaving hospital with new, changed, or complex medicine regimens.
How the Service Works
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Hospital teams identify eligible patients and share discharge information with the patient’s nominated community pharmacy.
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This enables the community pharmacist to:
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Review and reconcile follow-up prescriptions from GP practices.
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Ensure consistency with hospital discharge medication.
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Discuss medication changes with the patient to improve understanding and adherence.
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Target Group
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Patients recently discharged from hospital, especially those with:
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New prescriptions
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Altered medicine regimens
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Multiple or high-risk medicines
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Impact of the DMS
Evidence shows significant benefits for patients receiving DMS support:
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Reduced readmissions:
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Only 5.8% readmitted within 30 days, compared to 16% without DMS support.
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Shorter hospital stays:
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Average of 7.2 days for patients with DMS
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Compared to 13.1 days for those without
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Why It Matters
DMS plays a key role in:
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Improving patient safety
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Reducing medication errors
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Supporting medicines adherence
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Lowering hospital readmission rates