For medications such as GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs or GLP-1s), there is significant opportunity within primary care. However, many practices continue to miss eligible patients because default search logic is not optimised in systems like EMIS Web and SystmOne.

Partnering with Suvera can unlock value. With intelligent, up-to-date logic, our population health management solution, Planner, supports practices to close the gap on missed eligibility, while reducing administrative burden.

Why GLP-1 Eligibility Matters

GLP-1 eligibility matters for both you and your patients. GLP-1s are an important medication class for type 2 diabetes, and increasingly for obesity and weight management as set out by National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). They have been shown to improve glycaemic control, support weight loss, and reduce cardiovascular risk in selected patients. 

For practices, missing eligible patients has several risks.

• Clinical risk: a patient who qualifies for a GLP-1 but isn’t identified may remain on sub-optimal treatment, face worse cardiovascular or renal outcomes, and increase their risk of complications.

• Financial risk: commissioning frameworks increasingly emphasise optimisation of care pathways, medication reviews, long-term condition management and population health. When eligible patients aren’t flagged, practices lose the chance to contribute to enhanced services or improvement at a Primary Care Network (PCN) level, and may therefore miss out on LES (locally enhanced services) income.

• Reputational risk: regulators such as the Care Quality Commission (CQC) expect robust recall and long-term condition reviews. Missing key cohorts may reflect poorly at CQC inspection, affect PCN performance metrics, or fall short of Integrated Care Board (ICB) expectations.

• Missed opportunity: identifying eligible patients is not only about avoiding risk, but about delivering value, too. Optimising treatment leads to better outcomes, enhancing patient experience, supporting prevention, and reducing downstream costs such as hospital admissions or complications. This in turn positions your practice as a proactive partner in population health.

Why Default Searches in EMIS or SystmOne Fall Short

Many practices rely on the built-in clinical searches in EMIS or SystmOne. However, these can fall short for many reasons.

• Static logic: default searches may not update quickly enough when new NICE guidance or local formulary changes appear – for example, expanded criteria or changes in BMI thresholds for different ethnic groups.

• Coding inconsistency: practices may have uncoded or miscoded patients. Unless there is robust logic for uncoded but eligible patients, the default search will not capture these individuals.

• Risk-factor complexity: eligibility often involves multiple criteria including BMI, treatment history, co-morbidities, previous trial of oral therapies, occupational implications, or ethnicity adjustments. Default logic systems may use a simplified search, overlooking patients who are eligible for treatment. 

• Data quality issues: lab results, weight entries, ethnicity codes, or information regarding prior medication trials may be incomplete or missing. A generic search may not include fallback logic for these gaps.

• Lack of recall integration: even when patients are identified, without an integrated recall workflow or action from clinical or administrative staff, the opportunity is lost. 

Relying solely on the default search function can therefore put practices at risk of under-identifying eligible patients, leading to missed opportunities for patient care.  A proactive recall strategy requires smarter search logic, an integrated workflow and regular reviews.

Improving GLP-1 Searches in EMIS or SystmOne

Static logic and coding gaps mean that default searches in EMIS and SystmOne rarely capture every eligible patient.

To strengthen your searches, start by reviewing your eligibility criteria against the latest NICE guidance and local prescribing policies. Then check that your search logic includes:

• Diagnosis and treatment history – type 2 diabetes coded, with prior use or intolerance of oral therapies

• Insulin prescription – exclude or flag for specialist review as per local pathway

• BMI and ethnicity – ensure lower thresholds for some ethnic groups are applied

• Clinical status – include current HbA1c, weight trend, or cardiovascular risk where relevant

Finally, use recall workflows to flag missing data and bring patients in for review.

These steps are helpful, but maintaining accurate, up-to-date logic is a constant task. This is where Suvera’s intelligent, automated searches make all the difference.

Why Practices Should Act Now

If relying on default searches mean that eligible patients are missed for GLP-1 therapy, you are at risk of:

• Failing to meet patients’ optimal care needs

• Being reactive rather than proactive in long-term condition management

• Missing potential income streams via LES

• Falling behind in your PCN or ICS performance measures

While it’s possible to build custom searches in-house, keeping them current takes time, clinical oversight, and ongoing review of NICE guidance, local formularies and data-quality rules. For most practices, this equates to a significant administrative burden.

Planner for Your Practice

Our intelligent search logic and recall tools within Planner do the heavy lifting by automatically identifying eligible patients using up-to-date clinical rules, integrated recall pathways, and clear dashboards. A safer way to deliver care, Planner minimises missed opportunities to improve patient outcomes.

By identifying eligible patients, practices benefit from the following.

• Better patient outcomes: this may include improved glycaemic control and lipid profiles, weight loss, and fewer complications related to diabetes or obesity.

• Stronger practice positioning: demonstration of proactive care, improved coding and recall workflows, and dedication to supporting population health.

• Enhanced administrative efficiency: once logic and recall workflows are in place, the burden on clinicians and administrative staff eases. Virtual Clinic models also become feasible for supporting ongoing, long-term patient care. 

• Potential income benefits and cost-savings: better care now reduces downstream costs and supports negotiations in the LES or PCN space.

Planner: Smarter Logic, Accurate Results

At Suvera we understand that busy practices don’t have time to redevelop search logic or build recall workflows from scratch. Planner is your partner for proactive care and recall strategy, delivering:

• Pre-built, clinically-reviewed search logic covering GLP-1 eligibility, integrating NICE criteria, BMI adjustments for ethnicity, treatment history filters and data-quality safeguards

• Seamless integration with EMIS and SystmOne to import the logic and display eligible cohorts via dashboards

• Admin dashboards to ensure patients flagged through the search are invited, reviewed, coded, followed up and outcomes recorded

• Reporting to help you track performance, demonstrate population health interventions, and support LES contracts

• Ongoing updates as guidance changes – we automatically update the logic to match any new BMI thresholds, weight-management indications for GLP-1s, or changes to medication guidance

With Planner, your practice can avoid the hidden cost of missed eligibility, boost the available administrative and clinical time, and use a systemised recall strategy that supports long-term condition management.

If you’re ready to optimise your GLP-1 eligibility searches, consolidate your recall strategy and simplify proactive long-term condition management, contact Suvera today.