The Christie selects Better for its new ePMA solution

The Christie NHS Foundation Trust has selected Better Meds to implement an electronic prescribing and medicines administration (ePMA) solution, to help advance its openEHR strategy.

The move follows the successful deployment of Better’s digital health platform and low-code studio at the trust. The new ePMA is another step forwards in its bid to move to a new data-centric model with openEHR standards at its core.

Under this strategy, the trust is modernising its systems from previously siloed states to a data archetype model. This helps unlock data within applications as well as facilitates a patient-centric approach.

Alistair Reid-Pearson, chief information officer at The Christie, said: “Digitally enabling clinical services is the primary mission in our Digital Strategy.

“We needed a module that could level up our core capabilities whilst also plugging into our openEHR data platform. The data-centric approach to continuously improve clinical outcomes is pivotal to the strategy.”

Better Meds’ solution is built on the Better openEHR platform, which underpins the in-house electronic health record (EHR) at The Christie. The web-based system makes it as easy as possible for clinicians to use.

As well as meeting all of the trust’s core prescribing capabilities now, it is also geared towards future capabilities. This includes secondary care Electronic Prescription Service (EPS) connectivity, which allows prescriptions to be sent digitally to community pharmacists.

Adrian Aggett, client director at Better UK & Ireland, said: “This latest contract will enable us to support The Christie as it continues to progress its openEHR digital strategy which will provide multiple benefits including better access to data and information, faster decision-making, and more efficient management.

“Through our ePMA solution, we are committed to supporting The Christie to safely digitise its prescription processes whilst also providing improved access to data via the Better Meds integration with the trust’s in-house EPR and other systems.”

The project also plans to integrate the trust’s chemotherapy prescribing system into the Better digital health platform. iQHealthTech, supplier of iQemo, has committed to moving towards openEHR storage standards for key clinical data items.

The Christie contract follows on from a number of deployments for Better’s ePMA including North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust and Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust.