Pharmacists are forced to hand deliver patient information to GPs because they don't have secure email, Audit Scotland has highlighted, warning that a lack of information sharing could undermine the drive to reduce health inequalities.

More effective information sharing among Scottish health professionals would help improve partnership working, the spending watchdog reported.

"However, a lack of compatibility between information systems and a lack of clarity about what information can be shared may undermine local initiatives aimed at reducing health inequalities," it said in the report released last Thursday.

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	The report cited the example provided by a frontline staff focus group, which described a pharmacist who was undertaking health checks but was not able to email any information to the patient's GP. "The information has to be printed off and taken to the GP surgery because there is no secure email," it said.

"This creates more work for the pharmacist and gives them little incentive to continue to carry out heal checks in the community" the Audit Scotland report added.

"In order to demonstrate the value of being a true partner in integrated care models, pharmacy needs to be integrated into the information and knowledge systems that the NHS and local authorities use," NPA representational manager in Scotland Janice Oman said.

"Community pharmacy's role is not only about the safe dispensing of medication, but also helping people get the best out of their medicines," she added.

Community Pharmacy Scotland (CPS) told C+D it had been lobbying politicians for several years to improve access and sharing of e-health records for community pharmacists.

But the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) Scotland said it had made progress in its discussions with the Scottish government on getting pharmacists better access to all relevant patient health information.

"The SNP Government committed to giving pharmacists access to all relevant patient health information for them to do their job safely and effectively," RPS Scotland spokesperson Iain Brotchie said.

Pharmacy bodies have continually called for greater access to patient data before patients are able to view their medical records online by 2015.