Community pharmacists could be in line for access to NHS mail
Community pharmacists in England could be given access to NHS mail, the secure national e-mail and directory service.
At a meeting between NHS Connecting for Health and several pharmacy bodies
to discuss delivery of the electronic prescription service (EPS), NHS
CfH said that it is actively investigating the potential for community
pharmacies to be given access to NHS mail. More information will be made
available in 2007.
The quarterly meetings involve NHS CfH, the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating
Committee, the Association of Independent Multiple Pharmacies, the National
Pharmacy Association, the Company Chemists Association, the Co-operative
Pharmacy Association and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society.
At the most recent meeting earlier this month, the pharmacy bodies learnt
that, although 70 per cent of pharmacists who require access to the EPS
have now obtained smartcards, the number of cards being issued each week
has decreased substantially. The bodies are urging all pharmacists who
do not yet have a smartcard to obtain one as soon as possible. Information
on how to do this is available in the IT section of the PSNC’s
website.
ePharmacy
certificate Community pharmacists in Scotland have been
told to renew urgently their ePharmacy electronic certificate.
These certificates
ensure security
on the system. Current certificates, which were installed by pharmacy software
suppliers when they set up the e-minor ailments service, are about to expire.
Further information about the process can be found on the community
pharmacy contract website. |
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