Pharmacy staff must check the NHS assured Pharmacy First IT system “with appropriate regularity, to pick up referrals in a timely manner. This includes checking the pharmacy’s shared NHSmail mailbox when a pharmacy opens and before the pharmacy closes each day to ensure that no messages have been missed.”⁵

Referrals should mean patient information is sent via the NHS assured Pharmacy First IT system or NHSmail. The pharmacist will be required to check the GP Connect Access Record or the National Care Record when consulting with the patient. The pharmacist must also confirm allergy status and identify any concurrent medication or medical conditions, which may affect the treatment of the patient.

At the end of the consultation, the pharmacist should record the outcome on the approved IT system. The pharmacist should send appropriate post-event messaging to the patient’s general practice and update the patient record with the consultation details. The protocol states: “If an action is required by a GP following this consultation, an NHSmail or telephone call will also be required.”

NHS England has redesigned the way pharmacy outcomes are captured on the patient record, with the new format being rolled during February 2024. General practice staff should be able to review consultation information and add the data to the patient record with one click of a button.⁴

NHS England has initially approved four IT systems suppliers for NHS Pharmacy First software:⁶

• Cegedim
• PharmOutcomes
• Positive Solutions
• Sonar Informatics