Pharmacy IT workstreams update published
PSNC has published a roundup of the quarterly meeting of the Community Pharmacy IT Group (CP ITG) that was held during March 2023 and pharmacy IT developments. This IT bulletin includes updates on:
- Considerations regarding current pharmacy IT prioritisation
- Updates on the National Care Records Service (NCRS) portal which will replace the Summary Care Record application (SCRa) portal in the coming months. (Note: CP ITG pharmacy professionals are encouraged to test out this NCRS link (on their Patient Medical Record (PMR) machines with their Smartcard) and then complete the following CP ITG NCRS feedback snap survey)
- Electronic Prescription Service (EPS) developments (and a new survey opportunity – EPS Paperless, Outcomes and Trackability survey for pharmacy teams (5- 7 mins to complete a submission).
- Appointment systems: Pharmacy team members may complete a snap survey about their use of appointment systems (3 minutes to complete).
- The Parliamentary Health and Social Care Committee collected evidence during late 2022 relating to changes with digital technology within the NHS. PSNC submitted a formal response to Parliament’s Health and Social Care Committee inquiry into ‘Digital Transformation in the NHS’, on behalf of CP ITG and additional pharmacy-related evidence was also submitted during late 2022. Parliament’s Health and Social Care Committee has published its evaluation. Its panel rated the government’s progress on digitising the NHS as ‘inadequate’. The findings included: “that key Government commitments on the use of patient information were either not met or were not on track to be met. Progress towards improving the digital capabilities of the NHS was too slow, and often lacked support and funding. The findings will feed into the Health and Social Care Committee’s work, and shape the recommendations made to Ministers.”
- Community Pharmacy Data Standard: The Professional Record Standards Body (PRSB) has been updating this. The standard is increasingly used to support pharmacy services IT modules.
The spring round-up also outlines more and the range of opportunities available for pharmacy teams to get involved in the ongoing work to improve pharmacy IT.
Read more: Quarterly IT update (pdf) or Quarterly IT update (html website version).
About the CP ITG
Members of the CP ITG are drawn from PSNC, NPA, RPS, CCA and AIMp. PSNC provides the secretariat for the group. Pharmacy contractors, IT system suppliers, NHSBSA, NHS Digital, NHS England’s pharmacy team, NHS England’s Transformation Directorate, DHSC, and PRSB likewise participate in the group’s meetings and work. For more information, please visit the CP ITG webpage.
