A brand new digital prescription service in Wales has entered a stay testing part, forward of a phased roll out from January 2024.
The Digital Medicines Transformation Portfolio (DMTP) has labored collaboratively with plenty of companions within the NHS and business to carry the brand new service to fruition.
Over the previous 20 months, DMTP, which is hosted by Digital Well being and Care Wales, has been working intently with NHS England, who offered the core EPS platform that has been developed to be used in Wales. Alongside this, the NHS Wales Shared Companies Partnership has up to date its methods to include digital reimbursement to pharmacies and to place good care safety in place.
The brand new EPS permits GPs to ship prescriptions electronically to the affected person’s alternative of neighborhood pharmacy with out the necessity for a paper type – and sufferers in Rhyl are the primary to trial the brand new system.
Professor Hamish Laing, senior accountable proprietor for the Digital Medicines Transformation Portfolio, stated: “We’ve got seen an actual want and dedication from GPs and neighborhood pharmacists to undertake this and from the software program firms concerned to make the required adjustments to their methods as quickly as doable.
“The assist from colleagues in NHS England and NHS Wales Shared Companies Partnership has additionally made a serious contribution, incorporating digital reimbursement to pharmacies and placing safety measures in place.
“Our collaborative strategy, putting folks on the centre and dealing intently with clinicians, sufferers and business suppliers ensures we’re delivering a service that meets the wants of all who use it.”
Digital prescribing is only one a part of a wider dedication by the Welsh authorities to introduce digital medicines and e-prescribing to all hospitals and first care in Wales.
The EPS undertaking has additionally concerned working intently with 16 suppliers of pharmacy and GP IT methods. The event of the EPS implies that every provider wanted to switch their methods to ship and obtain digital prescriptions securely.
To assist this, DMTP teamed up with Life Sciences Hub Wales and established the Neighborhood Pharmacy System Innovation Fund, to supply grants.
Invatech Well being’s Titan pharmacy system and EMIS GP system provider are the primary to get their methods able to go stay with EPS in Wales.
Dr Shaun O’Hanlon, EMIS Group chief medical officer, stated: “We’ve labored intently with the groups at Digital Medicines Transformation Portfolio to implement the brand new digital prescription service and we’re delighted to listen to from follow employees and sufferers alike that the brand new service is already beginning to save time and supply a greater service for sufferers.
“The undertaking additionally contains tech to assist additional improvement and the introduction of smartcards for Wales too, which represents an enormous step within the digitisation programme.”
