Pharmacy IT workstreams update published as IT group meets
Community Pharmacy England has released an IT bulletin update ahead of the Community Pharmacy IT Group (CP ITG) meeting for its Autumn meeting.
Recent developments include:
Connected care through the Single Patient Record (SPR)
The SPR is intended to combine important health information – such as test results, hospital letters, and summaries from GP and hospital care – into a single, easy-to-access place. Patients will be able to view this information themselves through the NHS App, while the NHS 10-Year Health Plan sets out that pharmacies along with other healthcare providers will be connected into it. The SPR project team continue to seek inputs from the community pharmacy sector and its IT suppliers. To register your interest in reviewing and providing feedback on an SPR prototype, please complete the SPR expression of interest form. Research calls are expected to begin during the week commencing 21st September 2026. The researchers are seeking input from pharmacy team members with a range of digital skills and experiences, including those with diverse needs, to help ensure the SPR is accessible and works well for everyone.
Emerging AI technologies and pharmacy research
Community Pharmacy England has updated its artificial intelligence (AI) guidance. Pharmacy team members are invited to take part in AI community pharmacy research. To take part in the research, register your interest using the IT feedback form (input ‘AI research’ into question 6). Pharmacy team members taking part will be able to hear more about the research as well as share their views via a short five to ten minute survey. This enables research participants to share their views on the opportunities, challenges, safety and governance considerations, and areas where AI-enabled tools could support work and patient care.
Data security, DPIAs and assurance case studies
NHS England and DHSC are seeking examples of good practice to support development of an Innovator Passport which is intended to reduce duplication in technology and information governance (IG) assurance. The findings will inform delivery of a minimum viable Innovator Passport product for digital technologies by the end of 2026. Pharmacy teams and LPCs can email relevant feedback or case study examples (e.g. local IG template documents, Data Protection Impact Assessments and other process examples) to our IT Policy Manager.
Shaping the future of the NHS medicines database (dm+d)
NHS England has launched its first annual NHS dictionary of medicines and devices (dm+d) user survey. The survey seeks feedback on how dm+d is used, challenges experienced by users, and priorities for future development. Pharmacy team members and pharmacy IT stakeholders, access dm+d information within their EPS systems and dm+d browsers, and may contribute. Responses are requested by 2nd October 2026.
Take part in the NHS England dm+d survey
Get involved
To request that Community Pharmacy England and the Community Pharmacy IT Group consider specific IT matters or to request to join future meetings (from October 2026 onwards), please fill out the One-minute IT feedback/comment form.
The groups’ working Pharmacy IT roadmaps have been updated since the publication of the previous bulletin. If you would like to comment on the latest versions, please email da@cpe.org.uk.
The Autumn round-up also outlines other opportunities for pharmacy teams to contribute to improving pharmacy IT.
To learn more, please refer to:
About the CP ITG
Members of the CP ITG are drawn from Community Pharmacy England, NPA, RPS, CCA and IPA. Community Pharmacy England provides the secretariat for the group. The group’s meetings and work also involve pharmacy owners and teams, system suppliers, NHSBSA, NHS England’s pharmacy team, NHS England’s Transformation Directorate, DHSC and PRSB. Read more about the group and its work: CP ITG webpage.
