Whitelisting (IT)
Published on: 2nd October 2020 | Updated on: 10th January 2023
Whitelisting websites is the practice of explicitly allowing some identified websites access. It is the opposite of blacklisting a website.
Some pharmacy contractors will have their IT support maintain whitelists for websites and web domains which may require access. Where required pharmacy suppliers, aggregators or NHS Digital HSCN may also need to whitelist certain websites for pharmacy access.
Community pharmacies do not currently have blanket access to the ‘nww’ area of the internet (e.g. some Local Health Care Records systems may use nww).
If you require access to a webpage or system that uses this part of the internet, then your aggregator (and possibly also your pharmacy system supplier as well if they help to indirectly provide your connectivity) will need to whitelist all of the current webpages/areas.
The aggregator may need to seek further authorisation.
You may also contact it@cpe.org.uk who can provide a template webform to assist with this process where this might be relevant.
To start the process you could identify the nww areas which you require access to, and then ask your system supplier to ask the system supplier aggregator to proceed with trying to get these fully whitelisted.
On occasion IT support, PMR suppliers and/or their chosen connectivity aggregators will need to whitelist websites from their end to enable access. The pharmacy organisation or IT support or head office might also need to whitelist from their end.
CP ITG list of websites
Community Pharmacy IT Group (CP ITG) helped to prepare a list of websites which pharmacy teams report requiring access to:
Website/system list which pharmacy teams access (pdf)
This may assist pharmacy teams or those whitelisting links for pharmacy teams. Some examples are also set out below:
Hep C portal
The Hepatitis C Advanced service specification mentions:
“Pharmacy staff providing the service must have access to… the Hepatitis C IT Registry (https://clinicalregister.gemcsu.nhs.uk/) [HSCN connection required] provided by NHS England and NHS. Signing up to provide the service via MYS will act as a ‘trigger’ for the pharmacy to be added to the registry’s list of providers (please note that this may take several days). Once complete, members of staff will be able to request access to the registry, which will need to be approved via the pharmacy’s generic inbox before access is granted.”
Community Pharmacy IT Group (CP ITG) system suppliers and aggregators are in discussions about ensuring pharmacy contractors ought to be able to access this website.
Shared Care Records (ShCRs)
See: ShCRs
Reporting IT issues to your IT support or PMR supplier
See: cpe.org.uk/reportIT
See also IT webpages:
If you have queries on this webpage or you require more information please contact it@cpe.org.uk.
