EXCLUSIVE

The IT systems pharmacists are using to communicate with GPs for the national flu service are “working extremely well”, according to local pharmaceutical committees (LPCs).

Following NHS England's revelation last month that there will be no national IT system for the service, LPCs told C+D they hoped to use PharmOutcomes to allow contractors to notify GPs of patients they vaccinate.

The same LPCs told C+D this week that IT systems are up and running in many areas.

Avon LPC chief officer Richard Brown told C+D that PharmOutcomes is running “really well”, while Norfolk LPC chief officer Tony Dean said the data tool is “available and being used” by pharmacists.

Hertfordshire LPC executive officer Helen Musson told C+D that contractors “really like” using the tool, but many are still “getting up to speed” because they are new to the system.

“GPs are happy that an electronic system has been commissioned, because every [vaccination notification] is going straight to them,” she said.

Devon LPC chief officer Sue Taylor told C+D that pharmacists can access PharmOutcomes, but the LPC is not able to see any data entered, which is “frustrating”. “We’re not able to see activity,” she said.

London is the only area that told C+D it had opted to use the Sonar data tool instead of PharmOutcomes, and Pharmacy London chief executive officer Rekha Shah said the system is working “extremely well”. “It provides commissioners with live data at any point in time,” she said.

Kent LPC chief executive officer Mike Keen said PharmOutcomes is “coming” to the area, but local NHS England team has not said “exactly when”.