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As of February 2026, one in four GPs had still not enabled GP Connect’s ‘update record’ functionality, which allows pharmacies to add consultation information to patient records, an exclusive analysis by The Pharmaceutical Journal has revealed.
If the ‘update record’ function is not enabled, pharmacies cannot record medication supplied during a Pharmacy First consultation on a patient’s record and must instead email the information to the patient’s practice so that it can be manually added.
In October 2025, analysis by The Pharmaceutical Journal revealed that just under two-thirds (59%) of pharmacy consultations could be added to patient records using the “one click” functionality.
As of February 2026, the percentage of successful ‘update record’ attempts by pharmacies had reached 75%, according to data from a sample of 1,000 pharmacies shared by IT provider Cegedim.
The latest GP contract, published in February 2026, mandated that GPs should have a specific email address for pharmacy communications “in the event that GP Connect is unavailable and for new or emerging pharmacy activity that is not yet supported through GP Connect”.
The overall number of attempts to update a patient’s record following a Pharmacy First consultation has more than doubled in that time, from 17,187 in October 2025 to 43,235 in February 2026, according to the 1,000 sample pharmacies using the Cegedim system.
The update record functionality was rolled out from April 2024, shortly after the introduction of the Pharmacy First service, which allows pharmacies to supply prescription-only medicine to patients in specific circumstances.
However, in June 2024, the British Medical Association recommended that GPs temporarily turn off the ‘update record’ feature over concerns about data ownership and GP workload.
Tracey Robertson, managing director at Cegedim, commented: “It has got better, no doubt about that. The data doesn’t lie. But until this is fully adopted, it almost defeats the purpose of integrated care.
“I think if we want neighbourhood health care to work, really, really work, then clinicians must be able to see and update the same patient record. So the fact that we’ve still got these buckets of GPS that that have not updated the record, it’s disappointing.”
She told The Pharmaceutical Journal that it was “frustrating” that these concerns had not been resolved earlier in the process.
Commenting on the GP requirement for a specific email address for pharmacy communication, Robertson said email communications should not replace the functionality already built in to GP and pharmacy systems.
“It should be there as a last resort. Because by doing that [emailing] it’s taking time away, critical time away from the pharmacist team, it’s also taking time away from the GP,” she added.
“With those consultations increasing, there is an even greater need to ensure that that central patient record is up to date.”
Malcolm Harrison, chief executive of the Company Chemists’ Association, said: “Pharmacy First is already demonstrating real impact, with strong patient uptake. Full implementation of GP Connect update record is a critical part of the journey towards integrated primary care, with pharmacy interventions added to patient records.
“The ability to directly update the patient’s records with the clinical care provided by pharmacies adds to the patient experience, whilst improving patient safety. It supports more joined-up care, reduces the need for patients to repeat their story, and helps ensure the next clinician has the most up-to-date information.
“It’s encouraging to see the acceptance rate improving, but with one in four practices still not enabled, we’d like to see the remaining practices complete implementation as soon as possible.”
A spokesperson for the NHS said: “GP Connect update record is a secure system which helps improve safety by ensuring timely updates to patient records and reducing risks such as duplicate or inappropriate prescribing.
“Activating this system is a contractual requirement for practices and NHS England is working closely with suppliers, integrated care boards and practices to support and ensure its implementation.”
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This is encouraging progress, and the case for full GP Connect adoption is clear. But as we rightly press for the remaining practices to enable ‘update record’, we should also ask ourselves an uncomfortable question: are GPs confident that the data pharmacy is sending into their patient records is consistently accurate, complete, and clinically appropriate?
The BMA’s original concerns were not solely about workload - they reflected a fundamental unease about data flowing into the GP record from an external source over which practices have limited oversight. If we want GPs to trust this process, pharmacy needs to demonstrate that the information entering the record meets the standards that GPs would apply to their own clinical entries.
That means honest professional reflection within pharmacy about the quality of our consultation documentation. Are we recording with the same rigour we would expect if a GP were reviewing our notes? Do our systems and workflows support high-quality data capture, or do they inadvertently encourage shortcuts?
There is also a role here for professional oversight. The Royal College of Pharmacy, CPPE, and the ICBs commissioning Pharmacy First services should be considering how consultation quality - not just volume - is assured. Peer review, clinical audit of update record entries, and shared standards for documentation would all help build the confidence that GPs need to fully embrace this integration.
The goal is not just to get data into the patient record. It is to get the right data, recorded well, so that the next clinician - whoever they are - can rely on it. That is the standard pharmacy must hold itself to if neighbourhood health is to work as intended.