Access to emergency care summaries on cards for pharmacists in Scotland
Community pharmacists in Scotland could gain direct access to patient
emergency care summaries when the scheme is next extended.
This was revealed
by the Scottish
Government in response to one of a number of parliamentary questions asked
about community pharmacy last week.
Currently, community pharmacists in Scotland
can request information contained in the emergency care summary (ECS) by contacting
NHS24 but they do not have direct access to records.
Shona Robison, Minister
for Public Health, said: “As part of the national eHealth
strategy, the ECS programme is currently developing a business case to consider
extending the clinical user groups that could have access to the patient ECS
record. Community pharmacists are clearly identified as a user group for consideration
for the next stage of the ECS programme.”
Mary Scanlon MSP (Con, Highlands and
Islands) also asked questions about promotion of the minor ailment service and
prescribing by pharmacists.
In response to the
latter, Ms Robison replied: “The commissioning of national health services, such
as pharmacist prescribing services in primary and secondary care, is a matter
for NHS boards taking into account their assessment of local priorities and needs.
In the primary care sector, the new contractual arrangements for community pharmacists
place greater emphasis on the provision of a wider range of pharmacy services,
which will include prescribing services.”
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