The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has developed a new decision tool to guide pharmacy professionals when accessing a patient’s summary care record (SCR) online.

SCRs contain an electronic summary of key clinical information about patients, which is taken from their NHS GP record. A scheme to allow pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to view patient SCRs, with patient consent, is currently being rolled out across community pharmacies in England, following an announcement from NHS England last year.

The RPS decision tool is designed to support pharmacy professionals in this new role by aiding their professional judgement. It includes a decision making matrix, which covers governance requirements for accessing a patient’s record, along with potential scenarios where there may be a professional clinical need to do so. These scenarios include: supplying medicines in an emergency, finding out about allergies, and checking potential medicine interactions with over-the-counter medicines.

The tool can be used alongside the RPS support guide for pharmacists accessing a patient’s summary care record. To view the tool, visit the RPS website.