EMIS releases nurse prescribing system

GP computing supplier EMIS has released nurse prescribing software and two of the other leading suppliers say they will follow suit this autumn.

EMIS released nurse prescribing software this month to 4,500 practices using EMIS LV and the company says 5,100 EMIS practices are now able to offer computer generated nurse prescribing as users of its PCS system have had nurse prescribing functionality since April.

Community nurses have been frustrated by the lack of access to computer-generated prescriptions which they say has stopped many nurses from taking advantage of nurse prescribing. Many nurses have found it quicker to ask a doctor for a signature rather than filling out a prescription manually.

InPractice Systems and iSOFT are currently developing nurse prescribing modules. InPractice Systems says it expects to release the functionality some time this autumn although it has no date yet.

An iSOFT spokesman told EHI Primary Care that nurse prescribing software is being tested and will be piloted next month. He added: “The software is expected to be released in October for both Synergy, version 1.6 and Premiere, version 2.10.”

The new functionality from EMIS, which has been incorporated into its prescribing module, allows nurse prescribers to log on to practice systems in their own right and prescribe using computer-generated prescriptions.

Rob Murgatroyd, development project manager for nurse prescribing at EMIS, told EHI Primary Care that the rollout had been well received.

“I understand practices are using it and it’s going well, “ he said.

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Nurse prescribers lack access to computer systems