The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 279 No 7467 p223
1 September 2007

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Pan-pharmacy group to consult on NHS IT matters

A group that aims to ensure the pharmacy profession is fully engaged with all relevant programmes within NHS Connecting for Health has been formed.

The Pan Pharmacy Group on NHS IT will hold its first meeting in early October and its remit will include the NHS care records service, electronic prescribing, NHSmail and Choose and Book, as well as the electronic prescription service.

The new group comprises

• Royal Pharmaceutical Society
• Association of Independent Multiple Pharmacies
• Association of Pharmacy Technicians UK
• Company Chemists’ Association
• Guild of Healthcare Pharmacists
• National Pharmacy Association
• Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee
• Primary Care Pharmacists’ Association

Meanwhile, over half of community pharmacies in England now have systems that are enabled for release 1 of the electronic prescription service (EPS).

The group is urging the remaining contractors to upgrade to EPS release 1 compliant systems as soon as possible. Once the systems are enabled, contractors should start using them to dispense prescriptions where possible to ensure that any problems are identified and can be resolved before the service becomes critical to business following the implementation of release 2, the group says.

Gareth Jones, NHS liaison manager at the NPA, said: “Quite a few more contractors have ordered upgrades and should be up and running in the next few months. Many are finding they have to wait for delivery of their broadband connections and patient medication record upgrades.”

Release 2 of the service is due to start with early implementer sites in October 2007 (PJ, 30 June, p758). This will involve doctors being able to add digital signatures to electronic prescriptions and patients being able to nominate a pharmacy to dispense their medicines.

Guidance for pharmacy contractors on upgrading their systems is available on the NHS CfH website, the PSNC website and from the NPA information department.