In this week's special feature, writer Rima Evans explores the dangers of cyber attacks on pharmacies. Read today's episode to find out about the simple ways you can minimise risk.

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The Basics

Dealing with fraud can be time consuming not to mention detrimental to employee morale. So how can the risks be minimised?

Basics first, says Sarah Coffin, pharmacy manager at City Pharmacy in Portsmouth.

There are information governance requirements in place that pharmacists should be adhering to.

Community pharmacists in England are required to provide assurances to the NHS every year, via an online assessment, that they are following policy and procedure in respect of they way they handle or share confidential information and manage information security.

Coffin says: “The Information Governance Toolkit assesses whether you have adequate security measures in place, that everything is password protected for example, not just in the pharmacy but also for mobile devices.

“With the use of electronic prescriptions we do hold a lot of information even though we don’t offer online products and services. All our computer terminals are password protected, all staff have signed a confidentiality agreement and had information governance training.”

Coffin believes fostering a trustful and respectful workplace can minimise the risk of employees committing fraud internally and promote a safe environment. “It’s about highlighting the fact if we aren’t a profitable business, there is no business. But trust goes a long way.”

Come back tomorrow for detailed information on fraud prevention.