National NHS leaders visit pioneering Orpington pharmacy to see how innovation is improving patient care
Senior NHS leaders recently visited Priory Pharmsacy in Orpington to witness first-hand how technology is transforming patient care in the community.
Representatives from NHS England—including Richard Cattell (Deputy Chief Pharmaceutical Officer), Rahul Singal (Chief Pharmacy and Medicine Information Officer for digital medicines), and Anne Joshua (Deputy Director of Pharmacy Transformation and Commissioning)—met with the pharmacy’s owner, Prab Channa, to explore how digital innovation is streamlining operations, supporting staff wellbeing, and enhancing patient outcomes.
They were joined by Vanessa Burgess, Chief Pharmacist for NHS South East London, and Jessica Yap, Chief Pharmaceutical Officer’s Clinical Fellow for NHS England and NHS South East London. Together, they discussed how these advancements are benefiting communities in south east London.
Priory Pharmacy is leading the way in integrating technology into everyday practice. Key innovations include:
- Patient medication record (PMR) system: An NHS-accredited, AI-powered PMR system that enables paperless dispensing and performs clinical safety checks in seconds—helping to identify risks early and improve patient safety.
- Dispensing robot: Fully integrated with the PMR system, this robot automates the dispensing process, boosting speed, accuracy, and capacity.
- E-retrieval and Real-Time Exemption Checker (RTEC) integration: Patients receive real-time notifications via text or email when prescriptions are ready, with the RTEC simplifying collection.
Priory Pharmacy is also trialling several forward-thinking technologies:
- Ambient voice technology: Captures and summarises consultations, allowing pharmacists to focus more on patient interaction and care.
- AI-driven clinical templates: Based on trusted sources like NICE’s Clinical Knowledge Summaries, these tools guide consultations and generate personalised PDF summaries for patients.
The pharmacy has also achieved an impressive 98% paperless dispensing rate, significantly reducing administrative workload and streamlining NHS Business Services Authority claims.
As a vital first point of contact for many patients, Priory Pharmacy demonstrates how community pharmacies can harness technology to:
- Reduce operational pressures
- Support staff wellbeing
- Increase productivity
- Deliver safer, more personalised care