Boots and Cegedim Healthcare Solutions have struck an agreement that will see the technology company continue to provide digital services at its pharmacies over the next five years.

As part of the deal, Cegedim said it will provide “essential clinical decision support data and NHS spine connectivity services” for Boots' patient medication record system Columbus and support dispensing across its branches.

Cegedim has worked with Boots on its IT since 2005 and said the healthcare giant's decision to award the new contract “reinforces the strong relationship between the two companies.”

Richard Corbridge, chief information officer with Boots UK and Ireland, said: “The partnership between Boots and Cegedim brings with it great benefit to Boots pharmacies across the whole of the UK. Boots has deployed its own pharmacy system to every store in the UK. Columbus is our PMR that will bring automation, efficiency and a platform to super charge patient focus in every Boots pharmacy and online.

“A core part of the system is the functionality offered by Cegedim, clinical decision support and connectivity to NHS wide systems are key to the success of the systems Boots continues to deploy in 2021 and beyond. We are on a mission to be the most efficient, safest and most patient focused pharmacy in the UK and Ireland, this continued partnership enables this to be achieved.”

Steve Bradley, CHS group managing director at Cegedim, said: “We highly value our relationship with Boots and are extremely proud to be able to continue our longstanding partnership.

“We are confident that our market leading clinical decision support data and connectivity services will support Boots own ambitions to transform the patient pharmacy experience, helping to improve their processes, efficiency and productivity in store.”