Transforming Community Pharmacies with Enhanced Patient Care and Seamless Communication
A ground-breaking pilot study conducted in the East of England has demonstrated the significant benefits of integrating community pharmacies into shared electronic health records system using SystmOne.
The study, conducted from November 2022 to December 2023, involved 35 community pharmacies and 31 general practices.
The key findings of the evaluation, conducted by Health Innovation East in collaboration with academic experts, NHS England and a list of NHS ICBs (NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough ICB, Mid and South Essex ICB, Bedfordshire, Luton & Milton Keynes ICB, NHS Suffolk and North East Essex ICB and NHS Hertfordshire and West Essex ICB), highlight the positive impact of SystmOne on patient care, interprofessional communication, and service efficiency:
● Enhanced Patient Care:
Pharmacists and GPs reported that access to shared patient records through SystmOne improved clinical decision-making, facilitated a more comprehensive understanding of patient history, and enhanced the safety and quality of care. Patients also benefited from increased access to timely consultations, leading to a more coordinated and seamless care experience.
● Improved Interprofessional Communication and Relationships:
The study found that SystmOne streamlined workflows and communication between healthcare providers, reducing reliance on less efficient channels such as NHS mail. Both pharmacy and general practice staff reported improved communication and stronger interprofessional relationships as a result of the pilot.
● Increased Efficiency and Capacity:
SystmOne’s appointment booking system enabled general practices to book over 19,000 patients into community pharmacy appointments directly, freeing up capacity for GPs to focus on more complex cases. This streamlined referral process was viewed as beneficial by both general practice and pharmacy staff.
Quotes from Participating Pharmacies and General Practices:
“Clinical decision-making is far better when we have all the available information.”
Pharmacy respondent
“Patients have been delighted with the service offered by the Pharmacy and particularly like that we can book them an appointment directly.”
General practice respondent
“It’s not just the IT platform, it’s because there is an IT platform, it supports communication across organisations and it supports the development of that two-way communication between different organisations and building of trust, and I think that’s the key benefit that we’ve seen.”
General practice respondent
The pilot study provides a compelling case for wider adoption of SystmOne in community pharmacies.
“By enabling real-time access to patient information and streamlining communication between healthcare providers, SystmOne empowers pharmacists to play a more integral role in patient care, ultimately leading to improved health outcomes.”
Dr Matt Curtis, TPP Clinical Lead
For more information contact enquiries@tpp-uk.com.
For the full report read here.