The inaugural meeting of the Community Pharmacy IT Group convened at the NPA’s headquarters in Hertfordshire.

The RPS, CCA, AIM, NPA, and PSNC are all represented as equal partners in the group. IT suppliers, as well as NHS Digital, have observer status.

This new development brings together the former Pharmacy Voice IT Group and the PSNC IT Working Group into a single stream of planning and activity.

Richard Dean (AIM representative and formerly chair of the Pharmacy Voice IT Group) was elected to chair the new group and David Broome (PSNC representative) was elected as vice chair. Signifi cantly, the RPS is now also engaged, ensuring that the professional voice is properly factored into all the IT Group’s activities.

After the meeting, Richard Dean said: “This new group, with its unique cross-sector membership, has an important task ahead of it: to develop a shared vision for the use of digital technology in community pharmacy in England; and to work together to implement changes that will benefi t pharmacies, patients, and the NHS.”

The purposes of the Group, formally agreed at the meeting, include:
• Develop a shared vision for the optimum use of digital technology in community pharmacy in England
• Provide a forum to discuss new digital technologies which may have a future impact on community pharmacy practice
• Support the development of user-led recommendations which can be considered by suppliers
• Provide a credible, respected forum for sector-wide engagement with NHS Digital and other national bodies on the vision, strategy and operational plans for delivering optimum use of digital technology in community pharmacy
• Develop an implementation strategy for delivering optimum use of digital technology in community pharmacy and oversee a joint work programme to deliver it
• Provide, through its member organisations, recommendations and advice to community pharmacy and other healthcare organisations.