The clock is ticking. In a sterile room deep in the basement of Queen’s Hospital, operators in full protective suits move quickly. 

In the pharmacy production unit, the team is racing against time.  

Some chemotherapy drugs must leave the lab and reach the patient within just 45 minutes before they expire. There’s no room for error. 

The unit of around 50 staff produces a wide range of treatments for our patients across Queen’s and King George hospitals, making around 2,800 medicines a month. 

This ranges from syringes full of noradrenaline prepared for emergency use, to nutrition bags for patients who cannot eat or drink, to chemotherapy doses personalised for each of our cancer patients. 

Many of these drugs reach patients on the very same day they’re made up, often just hours later.  

They are made here on site because this allows the team to maintain extremely strict sterile conditions and also avoids any delays in getting these medicines administered. 

For patients, this precision can mean the difference between starting treatment on time or facing delays that could affect their care.

Without the unit’s speed and accuracy, patients would need to wait longer, travel further for specialist treatments, or face interruptions in therapies that are vital to their recovery. 

The process begins with raw materials being carefully inspected to ensure they meet safety standards before they are used.   

Once approved, the materials are transferred to the sterile production areas where operators prepare the treatments. 

Our aseptic production unit is a highly specialised and tightly regulated environment. Only trained and accredited staff can enter the sterile rooms or operate inside isolators.

But before any medication can be made, the raw materials must first be measured and checked. Joanne Gibbons, a Senior Production Assistant, is one of the team responsible for this before they enter production. 

Joanne explains that every detail, from the patient’s name to the expiry date to the manufacturer, must be checked thoroughly, and says that many patients don’t realise the complexity. 

Joanne said:

For example, we might receive a chemotherapy prescription at 9.00 for a patient who needs it at 10.00. Some people might think that’s plenty of time, but it’s not. 

Everything has to be disinfected, including spraying and wiping our gloves. It’s a long process, but we do it for a reason, we have to get it absolutely right.

Once the raw materials are checked, they must be thoroughly disinfected before entering the sterile areas. Jayzeim Hixon, a Pharmacy Production Assistant, is one of those responsible for this crucial task. 

Jayzeim said:

It’s all about making sure everything is clean and safe. The most rewarding part is knowing that what we’re doing is going to a good place.

They then enter the stage where the actual aseptic preparation begins. Inside the aseptic room, operators work in isolators where their movement is controlled and timed. 

This is where medicines are drawn up, measured to exact doses, and assembled according to the prescription.  

Once items are disinfected and prepared, they move through a carefully controlled pathway involving multiple checks. 

Each stage is designed to reduce risk and ensure the medicine that finally reaches the patient is exactly what was prescribed. The final stage of that journey is one of the most meticulous. 

Naina Chokshi, a Pharmacy Technician, carries out one of these inspections before medicines are released for patients. 

Naina explained:

We check every item for leakage, damage, or anything that could compromise the medicine. We lift each bag or syringe up against the light and examine it carefully. If something doesn’t look right, it doesn’t go out.  It’s a huge responsibility because the patient is depending on us.

Their work is felt in every ward where a patient receives a treatment made just hours before.

But for the team, the race goes on.