Digital Health Records To Drive Further Need for Community Pharmacy Capacity

A new report says that creating one digital health record could allow community pharmacy to deliver more services to help drive improvements in health and care. But with capacity already limited in community pharmacy, consideration also needs to be given to how to address the challenges facing pharmacy before more patients are directed through their doors. Head of Marketing, Shelley Dyer, take a closer look.

The Government has already been vocal about its vision to get the NHS back on its feet with three big changes planned:

• a move from treatment to prevention
• a shift to primary and community care
• more digitisation and innovation

Each of these play to the strength of the community pharmacy sector who are in a great position to help transform the health and care system by establishing their position as the front door to the NHS . Think tank, The Tony Blair Institute (TBI), this week highlighted the role community pharmacy can play with a new report proposing the creation of a single digital health record (DHR) to help 'drive improvements to health and care', particularly within primary care.

A digital health record

It said that data will underpin the ability to help the Government achieve its ambitions for the NHS and that a DHR will play a crucial role in that. The record would act as a “single source of truth” for the health and care data which currently sits in silos across hospitals, GP practices and pharmacies causing disjointed ways of working and confusion for patients. The DHR, it says, would also help the NHS prepare for the AI era because data is the basis for how AI is trained, deployed and regulated. A DHR would support the development, adoption and spread of AI technologies in the NHS.

The think tank claimed that an interoperable DHR which is independent of GP surgeries or a local hospital, would immediately expand capacity and access to providers. It would also allow for further expansion of schemes such as Pharmacy First “drawing on the skills and capacity in community pharmacies to deliver more screening, vaccination, chronic condition management and acute care.” It says instead of relying on existing general-practice infrastructure, this service would make greater use of the skills and capacity that sit in community pharmacy, meeting people where they are - online, at home and in the high street. There is absolutely no doubt that pharmacy has the skill set to further support the Government with the prevention agenda. What is concerning is the misconception that there is “capacity” in community pharmacy to take on more work.

A lack of capacity

Just this month minimum consultation thresholds were dropped for the Pharmacy First scheme for after it was revealed that many community pharmacies had struggled to meet much lower thresholds earlier in the year. Speak to anyone in the sector and they will tell you that pharmacy is at breaking point with as many as seven pharmacies closing a week (according to National Pharmacy Association figures) as they struggle to stay afloat in a challenging financial climate.

Sadly pharmacy is in a similar boat as many other providers within the NHS. An audit commissioned by the Government currently being carried out by Lord Ara Darzi is expected to reveal an NHS in urgent need of reform, long waits, poor outcomes, crumbling infrastructure and outdated IT, burnt-out and striking staff, and record low rates of public satisfaction, according to the Tony Blair Institute.

It says the temptation will be to ask for more money but points out the NHS has never had more money and staff than it does now (excluding the Covid years). The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Wes Streeting has also been quite clear on his plans to put to an end to the “begging-bowl culture” of turning to Government for handouts every winter.

Productivity and prevention

Instead the focus of a ten year plan for the NHS is likely to be on productivity and prevention. The think tanks says there is hope on both fronts with advances in biotech, pharma, data, digital and artificial intelligence which could deliver the gear change in both productivity and prevention that is needed.

It's important that all those working in the NHS, including community pharmacy, embrace such change. Those who fail to do so risk being left behind. Productivity needs to be a key theme for community pharmacy in how they adapt to the changes that lie ahead. Even if the sector is able to negotiate a fairer funding deal under the current contract negotiations, it is unlikely this will ever address the £1 billion shortfall cited by the sector. To survive and thrive in this new world, community pharmacy must start looking now at how they change existing workflows and use new innovations and technologies to create capacity within the pharmacy to deliver more services.

With more and more work heading pharmacies way, those working in the sector need to consider how they reduce the amount of time spent on the logistical, administrative and the time consuming task of dispensing so they can spend more time caring for patients. Funding will only do so much. As the Tony Blair institute points out it is data and digital which will deliver the gear change needed when it comes to productivity and prevention – that includes community pharmacy too. Our advice is start exploring what technologies are out there now. Those who fail to do so could face an uncertain future with more change set to come for community pharmacy.