Pharmacy Voice is calling for the creation of a new commissioning framework for community care, produced by the public, patients, commissioners and providers, as part of a central measure to improve hospital discharge safety.

In its response to Healthwatch England’s special inquiry into unsafe discharge, Pharmacy Voice has also asked NHS England to work with IT suppliers to ensure pharmacists gain ‘read and write’ access to patients’ medical records, as well as urging clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) to give prescribers incentives to drive repeat dispensing services in community pharmacies. Other recommendations include establishing a national framework to ensure that patients get referred on to medicines optimisation interventions like the new medicine service (NMS) upon discharge from hospital.

“The solution to the problem of unsafe discharge requires integrated services to provide care that people need in a timely manner,” said Rob Darracott, chief executive of Pharmacy Voice. The Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) has also responded to the inquiry, calling for extended community pharmacy services and improved communication channels between pharmacists and hospitals.