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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.”
