Pharm@Sea’s CRM Future Digital Initiative
A Design history and recommendations for optimised workflow Automation, prescription management, and enhanced patient engagement.
Introduction
Pharm@Sea, a wholly owned subsidiary of University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, delivers outpatient prescription dispensing and homecare pharmacy services across multiple sites. While currently operating in two locations, Pharm@Sea plans to expand regionally.
The organisation is initiating the development of a modern, integrated, patient-centred and scalable CRM system. This digital platform aims to digitise paper prescriptions, optimise operational processes, streamline medicines dispensing workflows, and support real-time data integration from underlying systems, thereby providing full visibility across all sites.
Discovery Overview
A cross-functional team—including Pharm@Sea pharmacy SMEs, DSP development partners, Clinical Safety Officer, Chief Product Officer, IT specialists, and patients—conducted a rapid discovery phase from October to December 2025, spanning 9-10 weeks. The primary focus was to gain a deep understanding of user needs, current workflows, and operational pain points to inform the CRM system’s functional requirements.
Research Approach
The team employed a combination of structured workshops and analytical sessions, led by DSP developers. The research methodology included site visits to both pharmacies, in-depth reviews of process flows and data, and mixed-methods user research. Collaboration with Pharm@Sea subject matter experts was central to the process. Workshops were conducted both onsite and online, with a preference for concise online sessions of up to two hours to ensure flexibility and responsiveness to emerging insights.
Additionally, the team carried out several one-to-one interviews with pharmacy staff across PRH and Brighton sites. These interviews focused on understanding how staff manage operational processes, dispense medicines, and utilise underlying systems such as CMM and Web-tracker in their daily work.
Discovery Activities Timeline
| Activity | Description | Estimated Date |
| Initial Design Workshop | Review requirements, establish project goals, establish client team/contacts. | 2x 2hrs w/c 27th October |
| Application Design Workshop 1 | Following an initial review of documentation, the team will meet to discuss end-to-end functionality of the APEX application. | 2x 2hrs w/c 3rd November |
| Application Design Workshop 2 | Refinement of the above. | 11th/12th November |
| Application Design Workshop 3 | Refinement of the above. | 2x 2hrs w/c 24th November |
| Integration Design Workshop 1 | Focus specifically on Integrations (if required). | 2x 2hrs w/c 3rd November |
| Integration Design Workshop 2 | Refinement of the above. | 2x 2hrs w/c 17th November |
| Onsite PRH and Brighton Staff Validation | Feedback and refinement of processes and wireframes. | 2x 2hrs 10th December |
Summary of Discovery outputs
The discovery phase produced a refined series of process maps aligned with day-to-day operations. These include:
- Prescription Capture Process
- Prescription Checking Process
- Prescription Dispensing Process
- Prescription Hand Out Process
- Prescription Screening Process
- Home Care Process
- Procurement Process
- Delivery Process
Wireframes (DSP)
- ***Insert list of wireframes***
Key Recommendations
| Recommendation | Benefit |
| Clinical guidance – use FDB Multilex | Useful, Usable, and Feasible |
| Clinical SharePoint integration | Useful, Usable, and Feasible |
| Limit drugs to certain cost codes and flag | Useful, Compliant |
| Labelling: Reduce copy-paste errors by having CRM verify that CMM labels match requested ones, with options for manual override or correction if needed. | Useful, Usable, and Safe |
| Labelling: All process function dashboards with a near miss tag or loop, allowing users to add a near miss and return it for correction. | Useful, Usable, and Safe |
| Screening: Remove option to add notes (free type), as risk level is increased. | Useful, Safe |
| Screening: Excessive clinical guidance on the screening screen increases risk. Prioritise key information hierarchically. | Useful, Usable, and Safe |
| Labelling: Labelling and assembly is best completed by one person at one station to reduce risk. | Useful, Usable, and Safe |
| Assembly: Barcodes may be inaccurate due to manufacturing errors; this is managed by checking them during goods receipt. | Useful, Usable, and Safe |
| Tray locations for prescriptions awaiting checking should be random, as grouping similar trays (such as all chemo) increases risk. | Useful, Usable, and Safe |