THE Royal United Hospital in Bath has improved procedures for dispensing medicines to patients.

A medicines management project was launched at the hospital on November 2002.

One aspect of the project is to let patients who bring in their own medicines store them in their bedside lockers.

A hospital spokeswoman said this system makes it easier if a patient needs to be transferred from one ward to another as their drugs are to hand.

She said it can also help to avoid confusion if a prescription needs to be repeated.

When a patient is ready to be discharged any medicines they need can be stored in their bedside locker until they leave.

The spokeswoman said this 'one stop dispensing' helps avoid delays in discharge as patients are able to take their medicines home straight from their locker.

Another part of the project, which is still being explored, is for some patients to be responsible for taking their own medicines, under supervision, while in hospital.

Bina Mistry, principal pharmacist at the RUH, said: "Results of the pilot project showed that by reducing wastage of medicines and improving systems of supply, potential savings in the region of £80,000 per annum could be made.

"Other benefits include helping to speed up discharge and improve patients' knowledge of their medicines."

The project was set up in response to a Government initiative which required hospitals to implement systems that reduced medicine wastage and made more efficient use of NHS resources.