Commenting on the announcement by the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) and NHS England that pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in community pharmacies in England will be given greater access to patient records, Duncan Rudkin, Chief Executive of the General Pharmaceutical Council, said:
“We believe that giving patients the choice to allow pharmacy professionals to access their records can help them to receive better care. The pharmacy professionals supporting them will have access to important information about their medical history and their medicines and will be able to work more effectively with other health professionals involved in their care.
“Pharmacy professionals in other settings, including hospitals and GP surgeries, are already accessing records and using this information and their expertise to improve the health and well-being of their patients.
“As the pharmacy regulator, we can assure patients that pharmacy professionals and community pharmacies have to meet our standards when accessing patient records. These standards make clear the responsibilities of pharmacy professionals and pharmacy owners, including in relation to holding patients’ information securely, obtaining patients’ consent before accessing their information and respecting their privacy.”
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