Patient care records?

How many times recently have I thought "If only I'd had access to patient records to help make this decision?"
 
Indeed most pharmacy bodies recently have said the same thing - it's about time that pharmacists in-line with most other health providers: GPs, nurses, practice managers, healthcare assistants and practice pharmacists/technicians had access to patient notes to help them help patients.
 
I'm convinced most patients think we have access anyway and according to the Royal College of GPs - patients should have access themselves by 2015 anyway!
 
Pharmacy access to patient notes would help the patient in many other ways...interventions could be recorded, MUR outcomes come be tapped straight in - perhaps even appointments could be booked if the pharmacist had reason to think this was appropriate and so on.
 
A better picture = much better patient care!

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