CEO Insights - MyCare.scot
Published: 20th April 2026
MyCare.scot: a small start that could mean big change for patients - and for community pharmacy
Last week saw the national rollout of MyCare.scot, Scotland’s new digital front door for health and social care. While the first version is deliberately modest, it marks an important shift in direction for our health system - one that community pharmacy should pay close attention to.
At launch, MyCare.scot allows people to securely view parts of their own health and care information in one place. That includes upcoming appointments, digital letters, medicines, allergies and vaccination history. Over time, further functionality is expected to follow, shaped by people’s experiences and feedback.
This isn’t about technology for technology’s sake. It’s about changing the relationship between people, their information, and the services that support their care.
Putting information in patients’ hands
For decades, most health information has sat in systems that patients rarely see and often struggle to navigate. MyCare.scot takes a clear step away from that approach. It recognises something fundamental: that people are not passive recipients of care, but active participants in managing their health.
Giving people access to their own information matters. It supports understanding, prompts questions, helps spot errors, and enables more meaningful conversations with healthcare professionals. It also aligns with a wider shift across Scotland towards prevention, self‑care and care closer to home.
Importantly, MyCare.scot has been designed as a starting point, not a finished product. The Scottish Government and NHS Scotland have been clear that the service will be built incrementally. That’s the right approach. Getting the foundations right – trust, security, usability – matters far more than moving at pace.
What does this mean for community pharmacy today?
In practical terms, the immediate impact on community pharmacies is minimal.
MyCare.scot does not change Pharmacy First, referrals, prescribing systems or pharmacy workflows. There are no new responsibilities, integrations or contractual requirements for pharmacies as a result of this initial rollout. But that doesn’t mean it’s irrelevant.
From now on, more patients will arrive in pharmacies having recently looked at their medicines list, their vaccination record, or their allergy status. That subtly changes expectations. Conversations may be better informed, but also more questioning. That’s a positive development - and one that recognises the clinical role pharmacy teams already play every day.
Why MyCare.scot matters strategically for pharmacy
Looking beyond the immediate horizon, MyCare.scot matters because community pharmacy is explicitly in scope for its future development.
As the service evolves, pharmacy services are expected to sit alongside GP, hospital and social care services within this national digital front door. That creates both opportunity and responsibility.
Opportunity, because community pharmacy is often the most accessible part of the NHS. Being clearly visible in a national service finder, linked to medicines information, reinforces pharmacy’s role as a first port of call for advice, treatment and support.
Responsibility, because digital visibility rewards consistency. If patients are navigating services digitally, they need clarity about what community pharmacy can offer – wherever they live in Scotland. That strengthens the case for nationally agreed service models, clear public messaging, and sustainable funding that reflects the clinical contribution pharmacy teams make.
A marker of future direction
MyCare.scot is not yet a shared care record, and it doesn’t solve the long‑standing challenges around data flowing between care settings which we, along with our professional body colleagues, have long cited. But it does send a clear signal.
It tells us that Scotland is moving towards a system where:
People expect access to their own information
Services are organised around patient journeys, not organisational boundaries
Digital tools support - rather than replace - human care
Community pharmacy fits squarely within that vision. Pharmacies already deliver care without appointments, manage medicines, support long‑term conditions and help keep people well in their communities. The challenge now is to ensure pharmacy is not just present in this digital future, but properly valued within it.
Looking ahead
At Community Pharmacy Scotland, we will engage constructively with Public Services Delivery Scotland (PSDS) and the Scottish Government as MyCare.scot develops. Our focus will be on making sure community pharmacy is:
Visible to patients
Integrated into care pathways
Supported by the right digital and contractual foundations
MyCare.scot may be a small first step for patients, but it points towards a much bigger conversation about how care is delivered in Scotland – and the role community pharmacy will play in the years ahead.
That’s a conversation we are ready for.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
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In practical terms, the immediate impact on community pharmacies is minimal.
MyCare.scot does not change Pharmacy First, referrals, prescribing systems or pharmacy workflows. There are no new responsibilities, integrations or contractual requirements for pharmacies as a result of this initial rollout. But that doesn’t mean it’s irrelevant.
From now on, more patients will arrive in pharmacies having recently looked at their medicines list, their vaccination record, or their allergy status. That subtly changes expectations. Conversations may be better informed, but also more questioning. That’s a positive development - and one that recognises the clinical role pharmacy teams already play every day.
-
Looking beyond the immediate horizon, MyCare.scot matters because community pharmacy is explicitly in scope for its future development.
As the service evolves, pharmacy services are expected to sit alongside GP, hospital and social care services within this national digital front door. That creates both opportunity and responsibility.
Opportunity, because community pharmacy is often the most accessible part of the NHS. Being clearly visible in a national service finder, linked to medicines information, reinforces pharmacy’s role as a first port of call for advice, treatment and support.
Responsibility, because digital visibility rewards consistency. If patients are navigating services digitally, they need clarity about what community pharmacy can offer - wherever they live in Scotland. That strengthens the case for nationally agreed service models, clear public messaging, and sustainable funding that reflects the clinical contribution pharmacy teams make.
MyCare.scot: a small start that could mean big change for patients - and for community pharmacy