Healthcare provider Charac is partnering with training provider ECG to develop what is claimed to be the first end-to-end service to provide community pharmacies with digital patient group directions.

The digital PGD service, which is intended to enhance the provision of private clinical services, is expected to be available to community pharmacies at the end of July.

From June 26, pharmacy technicians across the UK will be added to the list of registered healthcare professionals who can use PGDs. Having pharmacy technicians to support pharmacists in using PGDs means that community pharmacies can offer an increased number of services to patients in their local communities, the partners say.

Charac and ECG say their partnership makes them the first service provider to allow all pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in a community pharmacy to be covered by a single PGD.

They can receive PGD training online, read, sign and store PGDs digitally, as well as book and conduct virtual consultations with patients for PGD-enabled private healthcare services, creating an online record of these.

Community pharmacies that utilise digital PGDs will benefit from increased operational efficiencies through this integrated end-to-end solution, the company says. More than 20 per cent of UK community pharmacies now use at least one of Charac’s services. 

CEO Santosh Sahu says: “Pharmacy owners will now be able to obtain digital PGDs, fully integrated in our end-to-end solution that includes booking, conducting, and recording consultations online, increasing the efficiency of using PGDs. In addition, pharmacy technicians will also receive PGD training through our service to enhance the provision of safe, high-quality patient care.”