Home Pharmacy IT
Below you'll find an overview of the various projects which will support and impact on the national community pharmacy contract. For more information or to discuss the involvement of pharmacy in any of the projects mentioned, please email: IT@psnc.org.uk or contact PSNC's Aylesbury Office (01296 432823).
Please note that the National Programme for IT is relevant only in England. Guidance on the Welsh IM&T programme can be found in the Community Pharmacy Wales Website.
Background
The National Programme for IT (NPfIT) in the NHS is designed to connect the capabilities of modern IT to the delivery of The NHS Plan. The core of the strategy is to take greater control of the specification, procurement, performance management and delivery of the IM&T agenda. There are four key elements that the Programme must manage: ETP, a national booking programme, electronic patient records and the supporting infrastructure (N3).
NPfIT Key Projects
Electronic Prescriptions Service (EPS)
Click on the link below for more information on the electronic transmission of prescriptions:
Electronic Prescriptions Service
Quick Link: New Contract Funding: ETP Allowances
Quick Link: Accreditation Status of Pharmacy Systems
NHS Care Records Service
The NHS Care Records Service (NHS CRS) is an electronic record management service that will allow authorised health professionals secure access to a patient's care record, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Click on the link below for more information:
Electronic Health Records (NHSCRS)
New National Network (N3) NHSnet has been re-procured under the project name N3. Click on the link for more information: New NHS Network (N3)
Choose & Book
The current scope of the project is only to enable the booking and referral of patients from Primary Care to Secondary Care. The long-term intention is to consider how to use booking technology to support the booking of appointments from any point to any point within the health service. In the long term, PSNC believes that 'Choose & Book' could offer real opportunities for community pharmacy. The ‘Choose & Book’ programme could one day be used to allow patients to book appointments for medication reviews with pharmacists or could be used by pharmacy staff as part of the New Contract’s ‘Signposting’ service to refer patients to other primary health care professionals. Click on the link below for more information:
Related Projects
NHS Dictionary of Medicines & Devices (DMD) & Standard Dosage Syntax Digital Signatures
National electronic Library for Health (NeLH)
IM&T and the New Pharmacy Contract
Click on the link below to view information on the funding arrangements for IT within the new community pharmacy contract:
Pharmacy System Suppliers
All of the existing community pharmacy 'system suppliers' are currently working to upgrade their systems to achieve ETP R2 Compliance. Click on the link below for the contact details of pharmacy systems suppliers operating in England and Wales:
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