Before you finish registering for Phlo, we will ask you to nominate Phlo as your pharmacy and agree to our Terms and Conditions. As part of agreeing to the Terms and Conditions, you'll also be giving consent to Phlo pharmacists to access your Summary Care Record (SCR).

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This brings us to the topic of this week’s blog: the Summary Care Record. Here are some of the most asked questions about SCR that we receive:  

• “What is the SCR?”  
• “What is the SCR for?”  
• “What does this mean for my privacy?”

In this blog, we’ve set out to definitively answer these questions, and provide a comprehensive overview of the Summary Care Record.

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The Summary Care Record (SCR)

As its name implies, the Summary Care Record is an electronic record containing a summary of important patient information unique to you, created from your GP records.  

Some of the information contained in the SCR includes:  

• Your identity, including name, address, date of birth and NHS number
• The current medication that you’re taking  
• Any allergies and details of previous adverse reactions to medication  
• Important notes from your GP

Roughly 98% of GP Surgeries in England use the SCR system, so unless you have personally chosen to opt out at some point, chances are that you already have an SCR that has been created automatically.

The SCR may also contain extra information, called “Additional Information”. This mostly applies to patients with long-term chronic health conditions. Additional information adds more comprehensive data about medical history, reasons for taking medication, immunisations, etc.  

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What is the SCR used for?

The SCR provides crucial information that helps ensure that healthcare providers provide you with the safest possible service.

Access to better medical information about you allows healthcare professionals to reduce the risk of prescribing errors and avoid delays to any urgent care.

Why do you need to access my SCR?

At Phlo, we ask for permission to access your SCR as it enables our pharmacists to provide you with a safe and effective pharmacy service.

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Who can access my SCR data and how is it protected?

Only our Phlo pharmacists have access to your SCR.  

At Phlo Digital Pharmacy, we recognise and treat data security with the utmost importance and respect. Our online pharmacy has implemented the most stringent of data protection and security protocols across our organisation.     

Additionally, data within the SCR is protected by the NHS through secure technology and strict information governance rules and procedures.  

To learn more about the SCR, you can access an official NHS resource here.  

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If you’ve got any questions about the SCR, please contact the pharmacy team who will be able to answer any question you may have.