Pharmacy's regulator, the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC), has released a statement following a report in the The Telegraph expressing doubts about pharmacists having access to patients’ health data as part of the national roll-out of the NHS Summary Care Record.

Duncan Rudkin, chief executive, said: “As the pharmacy regulator, we can assure patients that pharmacy professionals and all community pharmacies (including those located in supermarkets) have to meet our standards when accessing patient records. These standards make clear the responsibilities of pharmacy professionals and pharmacy owners in relation to holding patients’ information securely and respecting their privacy.

“Anybody who obtains, records or holds data is also bound to comply with the Data Protection Act.

“The Information Commissioner’s Office is the independent regulator responsible for upholding information rights under the Data Protection Act and for dealing with concerns relating to how personal data is accessed. We make clear to pharmacies and pharmacy professionals that they must comply with all requirements regarding how patients' personal information is used.”