Revolutionising Access to GP Records for Pharmacists

A leading project with Pharamacy First.

Client overview

The NHS Pharmacy First program aims to alleviate the pressures on GP services by enabling pharmacists to provide consultations for minor ailments. We partnered with the NHS to enhance this initiative by integrating Access Record Structured, a capability of the GP Connect product suite, allowing pharmacists to securely view patients’ GP records. This ensures pharmacists have the necessary information to deliver safe, effective care.

The challenge

Prior to the implementation of Access Record Structured, pharmacists were unable to access patients’ GP records, which limited their ability to make informed decisions.

Pharmacists could access summary care record – but they had to log into a different system, and it only contained limited medication information: current medication, allergies, and details of any previous reactions to medicines. They needed access to more data such as investigations, observations and all medications.

Key challenges included:

Lack of access to GP records: Pharmacists relied solely on patient-reported information, which could lead to oversight or errors, especially in cases involving complex medication histories. SCR is not updated within 20 minutes like Access Record Structured is so data can be outdated.

Administrative burden on GPs: Minor ailments like sore throats or earaches often required GP appointments, further exacerbating waiting times and reducing focus on more critical cases.

Integration complexity: Introducing new functionality required alignment across multiple stakeholders, including pharmacists, GP practices, and technical suppliers, to ensure seamless implementation.

Enhanced clinician experience: It can also be viewed in the same space as the pharmacy first consultation allowing clinicians to examine the record without having to go and log into a different system.

What we did

Answer Digital played a pivotal role in ensuring the successful delivery of Access Record Structured within the Pharmacy First program:

End-to-End support for implementation

We collaborated closely with stakeholders to design mock-ups and workflows tailored to the specific needs of pharmacy consultations, ensuring the solution met real-world requirements. Through live patient testing, potential issues were identified and resolved prior to deployment, enhancing clinical robustness and reliability. Additionally, we provided ongoing support during the first of it’s kind rollout, addressing challenges as they arose and minimising disruptions for users.

Enhanced clinical safety

We enabled pharmacists to securely access patient records during consultations, offering valuable insights into medication histories and repeat prescriptions. This access reduced the risk of duplicate prescriptions and adverse drug interactions by ensuring pharmacists had accurate, up-to-date patient information at their fingertips. In addition to this, they are also now able to access test results and observational data to help determine if the medicine they will give would have any adverse effect on the patient.

Interoperability leadership

We leveraged FHIR standards to enable seamless data exchange between GP records and pharmacy systems, paving the way for future integration with other NHS services. By providing technical guidance to suppliers unfamiliar with FHIR APIs, we accelerated their learning curve and streamlined implementation timelines.

Operational efficiency

We streamlined decision-making by equipping pharmacists with the tools to effectively manage minor ailments, significantly reducing unnecessary GP appointments. We also introduced a scalable model to support a phased rollout across the UK, enabling easier adoption of the system by other pharmacies.

Driving NHS-wide benefits

We empowered pharmacists to act as an effective triage system by enabling patient referrals to GPs or hospitals when necessary. This contribution supported wider NHS goals by reducing pressure on GP services and A&E departments, ensuring more effective allocation of healthcare resources.

Results and our impact

As part of the broader GP Connect product suite, Access Record Structured is a critical step toward creating a fully interoperable healthcare system. We continue to work with the NHS to expand the program, including enhancing the current specifications and working with the pharmacy first team on what additional data community pharmacists should receive.

By enabling seamless data access and improving collaboration across care settings, we are helping to future-proof NHS services while enhancing patient outcomes.

Key impacts to date:

Improved patient care: Pharmacists now have access to structured clinical data, enabling safer, more informed consultations for minor ailments.

Reduced GP workload: Freed up GP capacity by diverting non-critical cases to pharmacists, allowing GPs to focus on more complex health issues.

Scalability: The system is designed for nationwide adoption, ensuring a consistent experience across pharmacies and reducing barriers to entry for suppliers.

Cost savings: Facilitated transitions from expensive third-party solutions to cost-effective NHS-led systems, saving trusts significant resources.

Enhanced clinical safety: Live testing and iterative improvements ensured the system met the highest safety standards before deployment.

Looking ahead

GP Connect and Direct Care APIs remain vital components of the NHS’s digital strategy. We continue to work as a trusted partner, leading efforts to consolidate and modernise these solutions for the future.

Our work positions the NHS to expand capabilities in patient record access, improve operational efficiencies, and enhance care outcomes across the healthcare continuum.

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