How Your Pharmacist Can Help You Prepare for Surgery
If you have a surgical procedure coming up, your pharmacist can help you prepare for surgery. Whether it is a planned knee replacement, a dental extraction, or something more complex, preparation involves more than just time off work and recovery planning. Many people overlook one crucial conversation: speaking to a pharmacist about the medicines you take.
Your pharmacist at Kingfisher Pharmacy — or any community pharmacy in Wakefield — can play a genuinely helpful role in getting you ready for an operation. It is a conversation that could make a real difference to how smoothly everything goes.
Why Your Medicines Matter Before Surgery
Before any operation, your surgical team will want to know exactly what medicines you take. Some medications can interfere with anaesthesia, increase the risk of bleeding, affect wound healing, or interact with drugs used during or after the procedure.
In some cases, you may be asked to stop taking certain medicines in the days or weeks before your operation. In others, you may need to continue as normal, or your dose may be adjusted. The instructions will come from your surgical team or pre-assessment clinic — but if you have questions about what it all means, your pharmacist is a good person to ask.
This is where a proper medication review becomes valuable. Unlike a routine repeat-prescription conversation, a pre-surgery review looks at every medicine you take and flags any potential interactions or concerns.
Which Medicines Might Be Affected?
Without offering specific medical advice — which should always come from your surgical team — there are some broad categories of medicine that are commonly discussed before surgery:
- Blood-thinning medicines — these may need to be paused or adjusted before surgery to reduce the risk of excessive bleeding
- Diabetes medication — your dose or timing may need to change, particularly if you are fasting before the operation
- Blood pressure medication — some may be continued, others may need to be withheld on the day of surgery
- Respiratory medicines — if you use an inhaler for asthma or COPD, your surgical team will want to know, and you may want to review your inhaler technique beforehand to ensure you are using it correctly
- Herbal supplements and over-the-counter products — some herbal remedies can affect blood clotting or interact with anaesthetic drugs, so it is important to mention everything you take, not just prescription medicines
- Hormone-based medicines — certain hormonal treatments may carry increased risks around surgery
The critical point is to be honest and thorough about everything you take. Do not assume something "does not count" because it is over the counter or herbal.
If you manage a long-term condition — such as diabetes, high blood pressure, or heart disease — this pre-surgery discussion is even more important. Your medicines are keeping you stable, but the surgical process may mean temporary adjustments.
How Your Pharmacist Can Help
Your pharmacist can support you in several practical ways before an operation:
Reviewing your medication list. If you are not sure exactly what you take, your pharmacist can print out a summary of your current prescriptions. This is useful to take to your pre-assessment appointment at the hospital.
Explaining instructions. If your surgical team has asked you to stop a particular medicine, your pharmacist can explain why, how to do it safely, and what to expect.
Answering questions. You might have questions that you forgot to ask at the hospital, or instructions that were unclear. Your pharmacist can often clarify these without you needing another hospital appointment.
Helping with post-operative supplies. After surgery, you may need items like wound dressings, pain relief, or specialist products. Your pharmacist can advise on what to have at home and supply it in advance.
Coordinating with your GP. If your medicines need to be changed before or after surgery, your pharmacist can liaise with your GP to make sure prescriptions are updated promptly. If you need to register with a GP or change surgeries before your operation, your pharmacist can point you to NHS GP registration information.
What to Bring to Your Pharmacist
If you are visiting your pharmacist for a pre-surgery chat, it helps to bring:
- A list of all the medicines you take (including over-the-counter products and supplements)
- Any letters or instructions from the hospital about your operation
- Details of your surgery date and type (if you know them)
- A note of any allergies or previous reactions to medicines or anaesthesia
This will allow the pharmacist to give you the most useful and relevant advice.
After Your Operation
Once you are home from hospital, your pharmacist continues to be a resource. If you have been given new medicines, need to restart ones that were paused, or have questions about managing pain or wound care, come in and talk to us.
If the hospital has issued a discharge prescription, your pharmacist can dispense it and explain what everything is for. This is particularly helpful if you have come home with several new medicines and are not sure how they all fit together.
If you are elderly or at risk of falls during recovery — a common concern after surgery — your pharmacist can also review your medicines to make sure none of them increase that risk. Some painkillers or antibiotics can cause dizziness, for example, and it is worth knowing that in advance.
A Team Effort
Surgery preparation is a team effort involving your surgeon, anaesthetist, GP, and pharmacist. Each has a role to play, and keeping everyone informed leads to the best outcomes. Your pharmacist is one of the most accessible members of that team — you can walk in without an appointment and get help whenever you need it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Do I need an appointment to talk to my pharmacist before surgery? A: No. You can pop into Kingfisher Pharmacy or your local community pharmacy without an appointment. However, if you have a lot of medicines to discuss or complex instructions, a pre-booked appointment may give you more time to talk in a quieter environment. Ring ahead to ask — we are here to help.
Q: My hospital letter says to stop my blood pressure medication — should I do that straight away? A: No. Follow the hospital's instructions exactly, including the timing. If the letter is unclear, ask your pharmacist to help you understand it. Do not stop any medicine without guidance from your surgical team or pharmacist. Suddenly stopping blood pressure medication can be unsafe.
Q: Can I take my regular medicines on the morning of surgery? A: This depends on your operation and the type of medicine. Some medicines need to be taken with a small sip of water up to a few hours before, others must be left until after you wake up. Your hospital's pre-assessment clinic or anaesthetist will give you specific instructions. If you are unsure, call your pharmacist the day before and confirm.
Q: What if I forget a medicine while I am in hospital? A: Tell a member of staff on the ward immediately. The hospital pharmacy will manage your medicines while you are there. Once you are home, your own pharmacist can help you restart anything that was paused.
Q: Do I need to tell the surgeon about over-the-counter medicines or supplements? A: Yes. Some supplements can affect bleeding or interact with anaesthetic drugs. When the surgeon or anaesthetist asks "What medicines do you take?" include everything — prescription, over-the-counter, herbal, and vitamins. Your pharmacist can help you prepare a complete list to take to your appointment.
Q: Can my pharmacist speak directly to the hospital about my medicines? A: In some cases, yes. If there is a specific concern, your pharmacist can contact the hospital team — with your consent — to clarify something or flag an issue. However, the main responsibility for pre-surgery medication planning sits with your surgical team, so always make sure they have a complete picture.
Q: What happens if my surgery is delayed or postponed? A: Tell your pharmacist. If you were asked to stop a medicine, you may need to restart it if the operation is pushed back beyond a certain date. Your pharmacist can help you work out the right timing and liaise with your GP if prescriptions need to be updated.
Q: Is it normal to feel anxious about surgery? A: Completely normal. Many patients worry about the operation itself, the medicines, and the recovery. Your pharmacist can answer questions about the medicines part of it, which may help ease some of that anxiety. If you are struggling with worry, your pharmacy can also help you access support.
Got an operation coming up? Pop into Kingfisher Pharmacy on Kirkgate in Wakefield city centre. We can review your medicines, answer your questions, and help you feel prepared. Call 01924 291898 if you have any pre-surgery questions, or visit us at 192 Kirkgate, Wakefield, WF1 1UE.