Access to patient records

For the last week I’ve been working as a locum in a maximum security prison. There are lots of challenges to working in such an environment but one of the great things is the access I have to patient information. They run a system called Emis which all healthcare professionals can access and this contains information about medication, comments from practitioners about patient diagnosis, progress and behaviour and also lab results, scanned copies of letters from consultants  and other useful information.

This information access allows me to be able to judge whether the medication prescribed is appropriate and to support the primary prescriber to ensure that best use of the medication. It made me think: what difference would this make to pharmacy practice if we had access to such information in community pharmacy?

I think it would make a massive impact. To be able to inform a prescriber when a patient had picked up their medication, to inform them of any problems patients might be having with their medication or posting results of formal MUR’s would be invaluable for the prescriber. Being able to access most recent blood results, BP or blood sugar readings readings would enable pharmacists to counter prescribe more appropriately and support patients to improve their health. The NHS Card will enable this to happen so all locum pharmacists could support patients wherever they work

The prison service think they are well behind in terms of service delivery but they aren’t and in this aspect they are well aheal of the community curve.

Shaun is a Director of PL-UK Ltd – a respected provider of pharmacy jobs, both permanent and locum.