National Care Records available in PharmOutcomes

PharmOutcomes now enables pharmacy professionals to look up a patient’s NHS number and access their National Care Record entirely within the system.

The process works by accessing national services simply and securely. Users need an NHS smartcard with the appropriate permissions and a computer system that meets the NHS Warranted Environment Specification running PharmOutcomes.

PharmOutcomes can be used to search the abbreviated version of the national Personal Demographics Service to identify the correct patient (including their NHS number). This does not require a smartcard.

With a smartcard reader attached, along with an appropriately coded smartcard allowing National Care Record access, users can view the patient’s National Care Record at the touch of a button without leaving the platform.

The whole process is integrated into the normal PharmOutcomes way of working and the aim is that pharmacy professionals will find it helpful when providing advanced services such as NHS 111 and hospital discharge referral follow ups, the New Medicines Service, vaccinations and emergency supply of medicines.

Kevin Noble, Managing Partner at Pinnacle Health which provides PharmOutcomes, said that the service had been live since April as part of the NHS Urgent Medicines Supply Service. Commissioners can now make it available via any on-screen template used by community pharmacists. Kevin added that it will be really useful for pharmacists providing locally commissioned services because the system seeks the patient’s consent and then provides immediate access to their national care record giving the information pharmacy professionals need.