Written question WQ97518

It is a condition of marketing a medicine in the UK that excipients used in the preparation of a medicine are listed in both its Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC) and the Patient Information Leaflet (PIL) which are provided on each occasion a medicine is dispensed.

Pharmacists have a professional responsibility to ensure they provide person-centred care and take account of the individual needs of people who access their services. Pharmacy owners also have a responsibility to ensure the medicines they dispense are supplied safely to the people for whom they are prescribed. To meet their professional responsibilities, pharmacists often maintain records of patients’ allergies in their Patient Medication Records (PMRs).

The Welsh Medicines, Allergies, and Intolerances Interoperability Standards set out the requirements for digital clinical systems in Wales to record, send or receive information about patients’ medicines and allergies and intolerances. Community pharmacies are responsible for procuring their own PMR systems however, we expect these systems to comply with relevant Welsh and any UK wide data standards.

To reduce avoidable harm, Digital Health and Care Wales is progressing the development of a national Shared Medicines and Allergies Record (SMR) which will collate an individual’s medication and allergy information in one place where it can be accessed by any healthcare professional involved in their care. In time, the SMR will provide an accessible source of information about people’s verified allergy status.

Under the Health and Social Care (Quality and Engagement) (Wales) Act 2020, which introduced the duty of quality, NHS organisations and Welsh Ministers are required to continuously improve the quality of health services. This includes ensuring equitable access to safe and effective medications for all, including those with allergies.