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

[mistymeanour]

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?

OldSu, Your pharmacist, and probably Gladys and Susan already have access to the information on your SCR and probably more. I'm not sure there's any way round that if you want to get a prescription.

The pharmacist turned the screen to face me during a medication review last month. Their system already lists everything they've prescribed me over the last 6/12 months. Only the repeat items will be on my SCR.

I'd guess several other pharmacies also have that info and at least 2 also have the info from my charge exemption certificate. Which is potentially quite a lot of dispensers and pharmacists having access to that info.

Rafa so why is everyone here saying that only the pharmacist will have access there is post after post saying that isn't there???

And no PennyHassett its not bollock at all

Only the pharmacist will have access to the SRC. But pharmacies keep their own records of what they prescribe you. I presume they are required to by law and will continue to do so.

This is a total non-story, whipped up by the Telegraph to cause hysteria. And the point of their story was Marketing sectors of large companies getting the data and linking it to royalty reward schemes.

It only took the rather bizarre turn of not wanting pharmacists to know what medications you are taking on this thread. And that's a rather strange concern unless you are paranoid enough that you never use the same pharmacy twice.

The SCR is just s list of your current medications and any known allergies, not a summary of your complete medical history.

Strikes me as a long overdue measure. I have no issues with it at all. It is quite amazing the way in which the various parts of the NHS have absolutely no contact with each other. Anything that breaks that down is a good thing in my book.

Yes it is bollocks - only my smartcard and password will allow access which I don't share with other staff members - so Gladys (seriously did you pick this name to make pharmacy staff sound stupid and old fashioned) won't be able to access it. I don't leave the pharmacy. So even if they did try and hack my account I would be there to witness it and intervene.

Like others have said we have access to the data that will be in the SCR now - we just have to phone up the GP ask. The just streamlines the process and will massively help those of us that work out or hours, when yet again we are faced with yet another patient who has run out of x or y or z, but has no evidence to support it being prescribed to the them and can't remember the strength or even, on occasion, the name of what they take.

It'll be useful just for those cases when someone comes in on a Saturday (when a lot of GPs are closed) to say that they are on holiday and have forgotten their medication.

Me: Which ones?
Them: The round white tablets in a blue box
Me: What do you take them for?
Them: I don't know

headdesk

Exactly Britnay! I know people won't believe us, but that happens time and time again.

And at that point you just know it's going to be a very long night and probably an expensive referral to the Out of Hours Service.

PennyHassett so what? you don't let people use your smart card - goody for you that does NOT MEAN that other pharmacists will not.

Does your work station have a camera attached to the screen that captures everyone who puts in a card, no? thought not.

I chose the name Gladys to highlight a point which you obviously didn't read or chose to ignore - that of a long serving staff member who of course would be older why would a name make someone sound stupid and old fashioned?????? its a name a lot of older people have I am 60 and went to school with 5 of them

So my scenario is not bollocks it could happen and most likely will.

Each person in the pharmacy has their own smartcard. The smartcard is only required for a very few functions. There shouldn't be a need to borrow another person's smartcard.
I work in a pharmacy in a small town. I often make up prescriptions for family members and friends. I would NEVER discuss theirs or anyone elses prescriptions or medical details. I am professional and discreet. I expect the others in my team to be as well.

Did anyone answer my question?
So the pharmacist in Asda now knows I am on meds for diabetes, hypertension, Rheumatoid arthrititis and paranoid schizophrenia. The pharmacist tells the store manager every detail who puts all the details on my Loyalty card and Asda sells it to other commercial companies (how many rules would they be breaking..)

So how is this going to be detrimental to me?

Oldsu - you'd better make sure you never visit your GP then because Betty the receptionist will be looking at your record - and there'll be a LOT more on that than Pharmacists will have access to!

Do you have the same issues with other healthcare professionals accessing any parts of your medical records, or is it just pharmacists who are in for this particular bashing?

Old au Every health professional you see has a smart card. They ALS all work with non qualified support staff - colleagues. So unless you want no access any of your records, you will have to accept your records will be stored on a computerised syste and everyone From the cleaner up. Knows the cards are audit traced and it's a as able offence to use someone else's. And why do you think they would want to see your data any way ? To what purpose ?

Your scenario is bollocks and what you are saying is that older people (like yourself) are not professional and not able to follow the rules - fair enough, you know your generation better than I do.

Does your work station have a camera attached to the screen that captures everyone who puts in a card, no? thought not. - no IG regulations would not allow this.

SCR access will come with a whole load of IG requirements and training - it will not be as simple. And the reality is that anyone of my staff could phone a GP and be told the information that will be in an SCR verbally by a member of GP staff - What exactly is the difference? What are you afraid off - Gladys discussing your piles at the WI?

A patient will have to consent to their SCR being accessed and accessed will be audited, I couldn't - it won't give me your full medical history, I won't know what conditions you suffer from, but I will know your medication history and allergies; this will can only improve your care that we provide. For those that don't agree with access, that's fine, we will just phone the doctor as we always have done. If you have to wait several hours or overnight for a response then so be it.

Does your work station have a camera attached to the screen that captures everyone who puts in a card, no? thought not.

And finally, before I go and do some actual patient centred work, it doesn't matter who puts in my smartcard, they can't do anything if they don't know my password - three wrong attempts and it is blocked.

Gladys may well have a smartcard too, but hers won't allow SCR access.

For those who are horrified that pharmacists work for money-making companies, be aware that pharmacists are healthcare professionals who provide services to the NHS under a business contract. In EXACTLY the same way as GPs, opticians and dentists. Guess what folks, GPs are private money-making businesses too.

The good news being that all of these professions are tightly regulated and subject to governance designed to protect patients and patient confidentiality. The less good news is that there are bad apples in every profession.

Perhaps we should blindfold Gladys while she's dispensing just to make absolutely sure she can't access any patient information.

I'll try it out today Rafa with my accredited checking technician - Any offers to be my test patient?

lol, do you really think that people at store level can do anything to loyalty cards other than perhaps add points or put them on a loyalty scheme (e.g. over 60s club)?We cannot do a search and find out someones loyalty card details. It is just not possible. Nor can we access info such as past purchases or transactions.

And seriously, why would a pharmacist get a list of a persons medicines, somehow find out their loyalty card details, pass it on to someone else? Do you think they have nothing better to do? Do you think managers have nothing better to do?

What exactly is the difference? What are you afraid off - Gladys discussing your piles at the WI?

The fear amongst some teenagers I know is parents being informed about contraceptive prescriptions. There has been discussion of this.

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8505849.stm

The only Gladys I know is under 50, has few teeth, a fresh tattoo every month, 7 children by various dads & goes out drinking leaving the 12yo in charge of the mob. Don't think she's got a steady job, but I'd be delighted if she did (even in the pharmacy).

She'd probably approve of the contraception, too.

But pneunometer , there has always been potential for this - back when all information was handwritten and posted or couriers took it, more people probably got to see it .

I'm willing to give it a go, Penny. Could be an interesting experience and I have a script that needs filling.

We have patient confidentiality heavily drummed into us.