The Electronic Prescription Service (EPS) is now available at some GP practices and community pharmacies in every health board in Wales after recently going live in Cwm Taf Morgannwg, Swansea Bay and Hywel Dda University Health Boards (UHBs).
EPS enables GPs and other prescribers to send prescriptions electronically to the community pharmacy or dispenser of a patient’s choice, without the need for a paper form.
The service was launched in Rhyl, in Betsi Cadwaladr UHB, last November and is being rolled out across Wales as quickly and safely as possible.
In Cwm Taf Morgannwg UHB, the service was first used at New Surgery in Pencoed, which implemented EPS in partnership with two Sheppards pharmacies in Pencoed. Since then, it has also gone live at Hirwaun Medical Centre, which implemented the service in partnership with two Well pharmacies in the town.
Sarah Bradley, Director of Primary and Community Care at Cwm Taf Morgannwg UHB, said:
“This marks a big step forward in enhancing efficiency and accuracy in patient care. By streamlining the prescribing process, we not only reduce the potential for errors but also ensure that our patients receive seamless and coordinated care.”
Patients at Swansea’s Greenhill Medical Centre were the first in the Swansea Bay area to benefit from EPS. Supporting the practice to implement the service were the Well pharmacies based at the centre and in Rheidol Avenue, Clase.
Kelly Jones-Lewis, Deputy Head of Primary Care at Swansea Bay UHB, said:
“The roll out of the Electronic Prescription Service (EPS) at our first GP practice and pharmacies in Swansea Bay UHB is an exciting time. EPS will make the process of collecting prescriptions easier for patients and there will be efficiencies for GP practice and pharmacy staff as well.
“We look forward to rolling out EPS to more GP practices and pharmacies over the coming months to ensure more patients can benefit from the secure and convenient electronic transfer of their prescriptions from their GP practice to their pharmacy.”
In Hywel Dda UHB, EPS launched at Neyland Health Centre, Pembrokeshire. The implementation was supported by Neyland Pharmacy, Boots in Milford Haven and Noott’s Pharmacy in Johnston.
Owain Williams, Lead Pharmacist for Primary Care and Community Pharmacy at Hywel Dda UHB, said:
“We are thrilled and excited about the implementation of EPS within our health board. It’s one of the biggest changes to prescribing practice for years and represents a significant leap forward in modernising healthcare delivery within our area.
“We are excited to witness how EPS will positively impact patient outcomes, minimise delays and contribute to the overall improvement of healthcare services within our communities.”
Jenny Pugh-Jones, EPS lead for Digital Health and Care Wales (DHCW), said:
“I’m incredibly pleased to see EPS live and benefitting communities in every health board in Wales.
“We are now working hard to roll it out to every community across Wales as quickly and safely as possible. To date, 15 GP practices and 58 pharmacies in Wales are using EPS, and more than 160,000 prescription items have been dispensed via the service.”
EPS is a key part of the Digital Medicines national transformation programme, managed by Digital Health and Care Wales (DHCW).
With EPS, patients no longer need to visit their surgery to pick up a repeat prescription form. Prescriptions can be tracked from the practice to the dispenser, meaning staff can see at all times where a prescription is and eliminating the risk of a piece of paper being lost.
The service is free, more efficient and secure. Patients who want to use EPS do not need to go online or use a laptop or smartphone. They simply tell staff at their GP practice or chosen pharmacy or dispenser that they would like to use the service.
