| About half of Scotland’s community pharmacies are now
connected to NHSnet. One pharmacist who has experienced NHSnet connection
is Jonathan
Burton, of Campus Pharmacy in Stirling.
“The main benefits are unlimited access to the internet, being able
to use NHS e-mail and access to the local NHS intranet,” he
explained. These might sound like simple steps but they signal a major
step forwards for many community pharmacies, he said.
“The first difference I noticed to my practice was that I was communicating
more with pharmacy colleagues in primary care and community pharmacy. This
wasn’t at the expense of phone calls; it was improved communication,” he
said. “I make increased use of internet resources such as BMJ Online,
Travax and BBC health news. I can also access new resources via the Forth
Valley intranet such as local prescribing guidelines.”
In future, Mr Burton sees increased possibilities for NHSnet. He hopes
to register as a supplementary prescriber at the end of this year. “NHSnet
will allow secure information transfer through NHS mail, so I will be able
to use it to exchange clinical management plans with GPs and get hospital
discharge
information,” he explained.
But he added: “We should not underestimate the value of chat. When
pharmacists and GPs practise in different locations, e-mail connects them.”
The e-pharmacy programme will deliver a generic platform to support implementation
of the new pharmacy contract, Mr Burton commented. “IT stands next
to premises in terms of need for investment.”
Alison Strath, principal pharmaceutical
officer at the Scottish Executive, commented that whether NHSnet should
be on a separate computer from the terminal used for dispensing had been
discussed. “The fact is that NHSnet is there to underpin new ways
of working such as electronic transmission of prescriptions. We are working
hard with software system suppliers to develop a Windows-based system,” she
explained.
|
The
Pharmaceutical Journal