The system worked like a dream. Checked in under the stairs. Got my ticket. Looked at the screen for 30 seconds. Proceeded to the outpost. First in the queue , done! It was a first. But it’s good to know it can work.
I am utterly disgusted by the behaviour my father experienced at this pharmacy. In 2025, in a country where people from immigrant backgrounds are literally keeping the NHS running, it’s shocking that racist attitudes are apparent and tolerated within a hospital. My father, who has always treated everyone with respect and contributed to society just like everyone else, was subjected to blatant racism by a member of your staff. It was demeaning and unacceptable, and left him feeling deeply hurt and humiliated. The NHS was built on the work and sacrifice of immigrants. Yet, it’s moment like this that show just how far behind this country and its systems still are. All patients deserve respect and dignity. I expect a formal apology and serious action to be taken because right now, the message your pharmacy is sending is that racism has a place in the NHS - and that’s utterly pathetic.
If you can get your prescription ANYWHERE else, I recommend trying to do that. It is the most depressing place, always a queue and expect a wait for up to 40 minutes. I’m not clear on the system - queue once for a ticket, wait and then queue again to get inside. Can’t imagine what it’s like during the colder winter months. And I can’t quite believe this is the outpatient pharmacy option at a central London hospital.
I didn't trust the reviews at first. This is the absolute worst pharmacy I've been to. I have been already 5 times, even with barely 10 people I'm somehow still in queue, and it t1kes 45 minutes to have my medicine. What could they be doing back there? Are they creating my pills on the spot? Their monitor also has an... interesting... way of displaying collections as it looks like it never clears and is out of order (good luck finding your number in there)
For the first time since I’ve used the King’s College Hospital outpatient pharmacy, I arrived in this situation: no one was in the “drop your prescription” or “collect your medication” waiting line—it was~ 18:45. I could go directly through but was asked to wait until my collection number appeared on the screens. I confess that I devised a task to reduce my waiting time: I left for my grocery shopping in a nearby supermarket, and when I returned 60 minutes later, I could walk in directly—again, there was no queue. I was out a minute later with my meds and spent only three minutes overall on the outpatient pharmacy grounds. I know this isn't possible for everyone, but I'm happy about the far more relaxed process at the outpatient pharmacy, where I sometimes waited two hours or more throughout the last few years.
I was concerned about using this pharmacy given the reviews but actually had a good experience. Went in my lunch hour on Monday after A&E had told me on Sunday evening that they'd sent a prescription. Was unsure whether it would have arrived reliably but all was fine. I waited 5-10 minutes in a short queue outside to get to the counter and explain what I was expecting. The pharmacist found the record, I paid, and was told the estimated time was 15 minutes. I went off to get a coffee in the dental institute next door, after 20 minutes hadn't received a text message but decided to wander back, and the security guard confirmed it was ready. Picked it up after just a couple of minutes wait in the collection queue. All quite ordered, efficient and polite when I was there. Phew!
The staff are nice but only when they are around. The poor service is not their fault - there just aren’t enough of them when they are serving an entire hospital! When I was there today there was one poor security dude out front and none of the counter positions were in service. There did seem to be a manager who was more worried about the layout of the queue than the fact that there was a long queue at all. You will wait ages unless you get super lucky and you will find queueing chaos. Also the accessible ramp is a part of their queueing system so expect drama if you need to use it for actual accessibility reasons!
Oh, the drama. Takes aaageeesss if you get there at the wrong time. Better take a book with you. Staff service is good, don't get me wrong but this is a bad system. Feels like we live in a third world country. This to me doesnt feel like London. Waiting for hours sometimes, literally, just to get your medication. It's time to leave the country. Oh, I forgot. I am leaving.
If you're looking for a stress free encounter with this pharmacy please visit during the weekend. It's the difference between a 3 minute visit and 3 hours. It is open 7 days a week. I have picked up prescription medication here multiple occasions and it has never been the staff who have been the problem with this place, at least not personally. Expect during the week days to be waiting outside in the cold for hours. there is an organised queue to let them know what your order is, they will give you a ticket and you should receive a text (which they send most of the times); but there is no organised queue to collect your medicine. It's survival of whoever is at the front of the blob of people who huddle at the front steps hoping the security guard will grace them with an audience. Pregnant people, the elderly and the disabled have little to no accommodation, there are a few benches but you will give up your position in the blob. This is all because they only let 1 or 2 people in at a time due to Covid. It's a zombie apocalypse but with a bad queue system. Very unbritish.
Not a review of the people who work there as they are as much of victims as the poor souls who waste half their day in the waiting area. It took 1 hour and 15 mins to get my meds. Management should have a more realistic queuing system as the one they have now where they "text" you clearly isn't working. My meds were ready and they never texted, if I didn't go ask God know how long I would have been waiting for. Also a hostility this size with one outpatient pharmacy?! What madness is this?
Outpatient Pharmacy, King's College Hospital NHS Trust is located at Denmark Hill, London SE5 9RW, UK
You can contact Outpatient Pharmacy, King's College Hospital NHS Trust at +44 20 3299 6873
You can find directions to Outpatient Pharmacy, King's College Hospital NHS Trust by following this map link
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