Pharmacy type
Community
Pharmacy context
This is a community pharmacy in a Scottish coastal town. Its main activity is dispensing NHS prescriptions. The pharmacy team advises on minor ailments and the pharmacist is an independent prescriber and provides the NHS Scotland Pharmacy First Plus service to treat common clinical conditions.
Relevant standards
- 1.6 - All necessary records for the safe provision of pharmacy services are kept and maintained
- 2.3 - Staff can comply with their own professional and legal obligations and are empowered to exercise their professional judgement in the best interests of patients and the public
- 4.2 - Pharmacy services are managed and delivered safely and effectively
Why this is notable practice
The pharmacy uses shared medical records with its local GP surgery. This allows suitable checks to be made when deciding on prescribing the most appropriate treatment for people. And the pharmacy demonstrates how this results in positive outcomes for people using the pharmacy.
How the pharmacy did this
The pharmacist was an independent prescriber and provided the NHS Pharmacy First Plus service. They were trained to carry out clinical examinations and treated several common clinical conditions including those affecting the ear, nose and throat.
When starting the service, the pharmacy worked closely with the local GP practice to consider what information would be appropriate for the pharmacist to access to support their prescribing decisions. The pharmacist was provided remote access to medical records with some restrictions. The pharmacist could add their consultation notes and the medication they prescribed directly into people’s records which avoided any delay in prescribing information being recorded.
The pharmacist demonstrated several records of consultations where they had altered their initial prescribing decision based on the additional information accessed on the GP records. For example, when a previous blood test suggested a specific antibiotic should be used as the alternative would not be appropriate. And the pharmacist showed records of referrals to the GP when the information accessed suggested people required a review with their GP. For example, when they noted a person’s medical history could suggest an underlying cause for their recurring symptoms.
What difference this made to patients
Shared access to people’s medical records supports people in receiving the most appropriate advice and treatment in a timely manner. Each episode of care is recorded in real-time, meaning other healthcare professionals have an accurate record of consultations and medications the person has received.
Highlighted standards
We have identified the standards most likely and least likely to be met in inspections, and highlighted examples of notable practice for each of these standards; to help everyone learn from others and to support continuous improvement: