- Written by Rob Thomas
- BBC Wales News
image source, Getty Images
The system allows GPs to send prescriptions directly to the patient’s chosen pharmacy.
The first e-prescription service has been launched in Wales.
The system allows GPs to send prescriptions securely online to the patient’s chosen pharmacy without the need for paper forms.
The service, which launched in Rhyl, Denbighshire, on Friday, is said to make prescribing medicines easier, safer and more efficient.
It will be rolled out in stages across the rest of Wales from January 2024.
Prescriptions can be tracked from the surgery to the pharmacy.
Patients also no longer need to visit a surgery to collect a repeat prescription, as the repeat prescription is sent directly to the pharmacy of their choice.
“I couldn’t believe it was this easy,” said Barbara McEvoy, a patient at Rhyl’s Lakeside Medical Center and one of the first in the country to receive an e-prescription.
“I told the pharmacy I wanted to use e-prescription and they did the rest. I didn’t have to use a computer or fill out any online forms.
“This is really convenient and will definitely help patients,” she added.
The center is currently in a live testing phase, with prescriptions sent electronically to nearby Wellington Road pharmacies.
Around £12m will be spent rolling out the service across Wales over the next two years, and is expected to save up to 40m paper forms being printed each year.
“We are at the beginning of an exciting digital transformation that will completely change the way prescriptions are managed in primary care and streamline processes that have remained unchanged for decades,” said Health and Social Services Minister Ernedo Morgan. Ta.
Barbara McEvoy, pictured with her husband Michael, is one of Wales’ first e-prescription patients.
She added: “Electronic prescribing will make a huge difference to the NHS and patients.
“This is a major milestone in our journey to digitize all prescriptions across all healthcare settings in Wales.”
Although e-prescriptions have been available in the UK for some time, Ms Morgan said the Welsh system was designed as part of a broader “all-singing, all-dancing” system than is currently being used across borders. Stated.
Lakeside Medical Center Operations Manager Shahraz Mohideen called it a “game changer.”
“Our GPs will be able to prescribe medicines more quickly and safely, giving them more time to care for their patients,” he said.
“It’s also helpful for patients, as they no longer need to visit the surgery to pick up repeat prescriptions.”
