Healthcare informatics

Pharmacists made 150,000 patient interventions during anticoagulant safety audits, report finds

The results of the two national audits revealed a significant increase in patients with a yellow anticoagulant alert card, from 66.5% in 2021/2023 to 73.3% in 2023/2024.…

IT system for independent prescribing pathfinder programme ready for rollout, says NHS England

More than 200 community pharmacy pathfinder sites across England can now start to use the new electronic prescribing system for the Independent Prescribing in Community Pharmacy Pathfinder Programme.…

Weekly medicines data to be collected from hospital electronic prescribing systems

The electronic prescribing and medicine administration system data will be used for “planning, commissioning and research purposes”, NHS England has said.…

Managing and reducing polypharmacy when prescribing

An overview of the challenges that multiple medicines management may present for prescribers, with advice on approaches prescribing pharmacists can adopt to best support patients.…

Community pharmacies report prescription delays caused by global IT outage

A defect found in a content update has impacted servers worldwide, including electronic patient record systems and software used in community pharmacies across the UK.…

GP Connect rolled out to ‘most pharmacies’ in England, says CPE

The GP Connect Update Record allows community pharmacies to securely update a patient’s GP record following a consultation.…

‘Beyond weight loss’: what is the future of semaglutide?

As warnings mount around the dangerous accessibility of semaglutide products Wegovy and Ozempic as quick weight loss hacks, researchers are questioning whether the drug has wider implications for other conditions.…

Using data to improve prescribing practice

Data analysis is an important tool that prescribers can use to improve outcomes and optimise practice. This article introduces some of the principles, tools and approaches that pharmacists can use.…

Replacing automated medication dispensing machines: how to plan and implement change when equipment reaches end of life  

An overview of the factors to consider when planning and implementing the replacement of ageing pharmacy robots.…

First 14 independent prescribing pathfinder sites have gone live, says NHS England

Wasim Baqir, senior pharmacist at NHS England's pharmacy integration fund, said funding had been confirmed for the Independent Prescribing Pathfinder Programme to be delivered this year.…