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AIBU?

to be appalled that the NHS is to give patient data to high street pharmascists

150 replies

mistymeanour · 10/08/2015 18:09

Happened to see this today www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/11790711/Boots-Tesco-and-Superdrug-to-get-access-to-NHS-medical-records.html

Apparently based on a study of 15 patients they are going ahead with giving the summary data on all NHS records to high street pharmacies such as Boots and Lloyd's etc. I am appalled - I don't want shop assistants having access to my data or otherpeople and various firms. I feel this is a complete breach of patient trust. We were not consulted. I filed a refusal form with my GP for the previous Tory push to give drug companies and insurance firms data but this has just been announced and is to roll out next month with no warning!

Apparently the summary data contans details of meds you have been prescribed but I know a medical summariser and the summary includes details of your conditionsand treatment. What if you don't want someone to know about a rape and abortion, or depression and mental illness you had meds for etc. Will people be only able to use the NHs in return for all their data? What ever happenedto confidentiality?

OP posts:
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Salmotrutta · 10/08/2015 18:11

You do know that qualified pharmacists are not "shop assistants?

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Salmotrutta · 10/08/2015 18:14

And it says that pharmacists have to ask the patients permission to view the records. And that it will be pharmacists who can do this - not the assistants.

I don't think any Tom Dick or Harry will be able to access them.

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IamtheDevilsAvocado · 10/08/2015 18:16

No problem with this as long as it is only pharmacists who have access and not boots /tesco for purposes of advertising etc..

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Newlywed2013 · 10/08/2015 18:16

You do know pharmacists are not shop assistants! They are healthcare professionals and do 5 years of training including a masters to get where they are! What the hell do you think they are going to do with your information except use it to help best advise and help a patient

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Artus · 10/08/2015 18:16

The Summary Care record will not contain all the information summarised on your medical record. Pharmacists are professionals and can only access certain data on your medicines using a Smartcard, which gives an audit trail of who has accessed the information. Counter staff won't have access.

If you are on medication the pharmacist will have a pretty good idea what medical condition you have anyway.

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MaidOfStars · 10/08/2015 18:18

So a pharmacist can access patient records, only with consent, and presumably in accordance with NHS data/confidentiality policies?

I think I'm surprised they couldn't already.

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Purplepoodle · 10/08/2015 18:18

It's the pharmacists who will have access and will use it as a final check to make sure medication has been prescibed correctly. It's actually shocking how many doctors prescribe medication that isn't the best for certain conditions or don't realise the interactions with other meds. Many times we have only picked it up because the person has always used the pharmacy and have on record what they have been prescibed. Usually we end up ringing gp and the re prescription

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ghostyslovesheep · 10/08/2015 18:18

I don't see the issue - pharmacists already deal with your medication - perhaps this will make it easier to get emergency repeat prescriptions and prevent you taking something that may effect regular meds.

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SilverDragonfly1 · 10/08/2015 18:30

I think it's fine. I am on quite a few medications and I actually trust my pharmacist to spot potential clashes more than I do my nice but rushed and overloaded GP.

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msgrinch · 10/08/2015 18:35

Doesn't bother me at all.

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GoblinLittleOwl · 10/08/2015 18:36

No, I would not be happy. I am aware that Pharmacists are trained health professionals, but I am also aware that they are working to make their business profitable. They do not take the Hippocratic oath.
A local chemist was suspended recently for, among other things, trying to force an unqualified member of staff prescribe drugs whilst he was not present, and then altering the terms of her contract after he had employed her. Following the case online, I was horrified to see how many pharmacists have been suspended for corrupt practices.

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RoboticSealpup · 10/08/2015 18:40

You don't know the half of it. Almost any entity can buy medical records if they can convince the NHS it's for health research purposes.

www.theguardian.com/society/2014/jan/19/nhs-patient-data-available-companies-buy

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RoboticSealpup · 10/08/2015 18:42

Oops, my bad. I'm in a sleep-deprived fog and didn't read your OP properly. You obviously already know about that. Sorry.

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chickenfuckingpox · 10/08/2015 18:43

it didnt work in the trial they forgot to ask for permission and didnt explain it to people only 15 people responded to the survey out of a few thousand?

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LaLyra · 10/08/2015 18:44

As long as the pharmacist needs, and gets, permission from the patient I don't have a problem with this.

It was only thanks to the pharmacist that I discovered I shouldn't take one of my regular medications when on antibiotics. I'd been prescribed them many times before by the doctor without a mention of it.

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HarveySchlumpfenburger · 10/08/2015 18:47

I assume people objecting to this, go out of their way to make sure they fill their prescriptions at a different pharmacies every time.

I can assure you my regular pharmacist is well aware of what I've been prescribed because he can pull it up on their system at the touch of a button. Both the repeat items and the occasional one off. Being the qualified professional he is I'm pretty sure he could take an accurate guess at my underlying medical conditions.

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scatterthenuns · 10/08/2015 18:51

I think its a great idea!

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hazeyjane · 10/08/2015 18:56

Our pharmacist knows most of our medical details already, fortunately as he has often phoned the gp to discuss whether a particular medicine could be used, has noticed when things are wrong or if something is unavailable has conferred with GP whether an alternative is appropriate. He is a medical professional, and he is bloody brilliant!

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AliceInUnderpants · 10/08/2015 19:01

Meh, my pharmacist knows all this anyway. It improves the service they give me.

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Mide7 · 10/08/2015 19:02

Pharmacists generally have a better understanding of drugs than GP's. They pretty much know what's up with you from the drugs your prescribed anyway. I don't see the problem.

I think pharmancies will get more powers soon because of the strain on GP's and A&E

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bookishandblondish · 10/08/2015 19:09

So what?

Might stop the sub-optimal prescribing and some dangerous prescribing. Summary care record is literally emergency relevant data only.

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HarveySchlumpfenburger · 10/08/2015 19:09

I think if you only get 15 responses to a survey, mostly what you've learnt is that nobody cares enough either way.

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SaskiaRembrandtWasFramed · 10/08/2015 19:11

I think it's a good idea, it is surprising it doesn't already happen.

My exH was once prescribed two medications that weren't supposed to be taken together. It was the pharmacist who spotted this and referred him back to the GP. To me it makes sense that they should be able to check that something you have been prescribed doesn't conflict with existing medication or medical conditions.

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BearFoxBear · 10/08/2015 19:13

Another complete overreaction to the sharing of data between healthcare professionals. I find it difficult to understand how people can moan about the NHS not being able to

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ginmakesitallok · 10/08/2015 19:15

Pharmacists are ultimately responsible for what they dispense to you, how can they do that safely without having access to your medical summary? They are qualified health professionals with professional codes of conduct. Of course there are some bad ones, just like there are bad doctors and nurses (Harold Shipman anyone?)

I have no problem with this.

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