Information sharing with pharmacies
The PRSB is working on a project to improve information sharing between pharmacies and other health and care services, to make care better for patients.
Overview
As the number of people living with complex and long-term conditions continues to grow, there has been an increased drive to help people remain healthy in the community, supported by professionals. For this to happen, we need all health and care services to work together and share information between systems, so we can ensure that patients receive high quality care that is consistent at all times.
Working with NHS Digital and the Royal College of Physician’s Health Informatics Unit, we are developing data standards so that information from community pharmacy services can be shared digitally with other services, with a focus on GPs. The information, which will include data on immunisations, medication and other patient related information, will support health and care professionals to make the right decisions about care.
Pharmacist and advisor to the project Stephen Goundrey-Smith, said:
“Through new services and offerings, community pharmacists are becoming increasingly involved in patient care. From offering vaccinations to additional support and advice with medications, it is more important than ever that we are sharing the right information with other care providers. A standard on pharmacy information flows will mean we are able to share the right information between services in a standardised way, ultimately leading to better quality care for patients”