24-Hour Pharmacy in Sharjah

What is the 24-hour pharmacy?

The 24-hour pharmacy is the in-house Dar Al Kamal Pharmacy at Dar Al Kamal Hospital, Sharjah, open 24 hours a day. It dispenses the prescriptions written by the hospital's doctors, so a patient seen in a clinic, on a ward or in the emergency department collects the medicines in the same building, at any hour.

The pharmacy has three roles that patients often meet separately:

| Role | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Hospital prescriptions | Medicines prescribed by Dar Al Kamal Hospital doctors, dispensed day and night |
| Outpatient pharmacy | Skin care and hair care products available to buy over the counter |
| Vaccination programme | Run jointly with the hospital's paediatrics team |

A detail many patients find useful: because the pharmacy sits inside the hospital, the pharmacist can check a question about a prescription directly with the doctor who wrote it, often while you wait.

Who needs it

The 24-hour pharmacy serves anyone leaving an appointment or a hospital stay at Dar Al Kamal Hospital with a prescription. It is especially helpful for:

• Patients treated in the emergency department late at night who need medicines straight away
• Parents collecting treatment for a child after an evening visit
• Patients discharged from a ward with a new list of medicines to start at home
• People on several medicines who want a pharmacist to explain how they fit together, alongside a polypharmacy medication review
• Families bringing children for routine child vaccination, run jointly with the paediatrics team
• Adults due a vaccine, covered on the adult vaccination page
• Shoppers looking for skin and hair care products from the outpatient pharmacy

What happens

For a prescription, you bring it to the pharmacy counter with your Emirates ID and insurance card. The pharmacist checks the prescription, confirms your identity and asks about allergies and any other medicines you take, including supplements and herbal remedies.

The pharmacist then prepares and labels each medicine and explains how to use it: when to take it, whether to take it with food, how long the course lasts and how to store it. Inhalers, eye drops, injections and liquid medicines for children come with a demonstration of the technique where needed. You are welcome to ask questions at this point, and writing the instructions down for a relative is a sensible request.

For insured patients, the pharmacy submits the claim to your insurer and tells you any co-payment due. For vaccinations, the visit follows the vaccination programme's schedule, with a check of health and vaccine history before each dose.

Preparing for it

A few things make a pharmacy visit quicker and safer:

• Bring your Emirates ID and insurance card
• Keep a current list of every medicine you take, with strengths, or bring the packs themselves
• Know your allergies, and mention pregnancy or breastfeeding
• For a child, know their current weight, because many children's doses depend on it
• For vaccinations, bring the vaccination record or card

During Ramadan, tell the pharmacist you are fasting. Many medicines can be timed around suhoor and iftar, and the pharmacist can discuss this with your doctor.

Afterwards

Take each medicine as the label and the pharmacist describe, and finish courses such as antibiotics as prescribed. Keep medicines in their original packs, out of children's reach and away from heat. In Sharjah, a parked car heats up fast, so carry medicines with you, and store insulin and other refrigerated medicines as instructed.

Keep the pharmacy's printed information with each medicine for the length of the course. If you are unsure about a dose, a missed tablet or how two medicines fit together, the pharmacist at the Dar Al Kamal Pharmacy is available to answer at any hour, and a quick question at the counter is always welcome.

Contact the hospital if a new rash, swelling, vomiting or other unexpected effect appears after starting a medicine. **Go to the emergency department straight away for swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, difficulty breathing, or collapse after a medicine or vaccine.**

Cost and insurance

Most UAE insurance plans cover medicines prescribed for a medical condition, usually with a co-payment, and some medicines need pre-approval from the insurer before they are dispensed. Plans follow their own list of covered medicines, so a prescribed item may be partly covered or self-paid. Skin and hair care products from the outpatient pharmacy are usually self-paid. Dar Al Kamal Hospital, Sharjah can help you check your cover on 06 599 7777.