A recent report by the Company Chemists' Association (CCA) has revealed a significant disparity in patient engagement with the Pharmacy First service across
the UK.
In response, Santosh Sahu, Founder and CEO at Charac, has emphasised the need for technological reform to address "the interoperability gap between pharmacists
and GPs".
Sahu identified the lack of GP referrals for Pharmacy First consultations as a key issue, attributing it to inadequate IT infrastructure.
He urged the sector to "implement technological reforms to enhance interoperability between pharmacists and GPs, enabling them to share patient records, identify
care pathways, and address health needs more effectively".
A new Information Standard has been published to support improved medication and sharing of allergy information across healthcare services in England.
The move will standardise medication message content and help reduce medicines related errors and improve patient safety.
It will also allow efficient sharing of medicine information between NHS and social care organisations, including hospitals, GP practices, residential care homes, mental health trusts, and community pharmacies.
The Standard that came into effect in October "will save healthcare professionals valuable time accessing key medicines information, provide clinicians with access to a richer source of information, consistent across all care settings", said Shahzad Ali, NHS Digital clinical lead for the Interoperable Medicines Programme.