Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board to launch ePMA

Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board (CTM UHB) has selected Nervecentre as its technology supplier to deliver an electronic prescribing and medicines administration system (ePMA) in all its hospitals in Wales.

The contract for the Nervecentre ePMA, will last five years, with the deployment project expected to begin before the end of 2024.

Hospitals in Merthyr Tydfil, Rhondda Cynon Taf and Bridgend will roll out the ePMA system in 2025.

The system is planned to streamline prescribing by replacing paper drug charts at the end of patients’ beds with a digital system, reducing the risk of medication errors and helping to ensure information is accurate, up-to-date and readily available to support clinical decision making, which will ultimately improve patient care.

Dom Hurford, executive medical director at CTM UHB, said: “Digitising prescribing in our hospitals will not only make care safer for our patients but will also increase the efficiency of the services we provide.

“We are excited to be working with Nervecentre to introduce this new technology that will benefit both our service users and our clinical teams”.

The introduction of ePMA is part of the national Digital Medicines Programme, led by Digital Health and Care Wales (DHCW), which aims to make the prescribing, dispensing and administration of medicines in Wales safer and more efficient for patients and clinicians.

Lesley Jones, DHCW programme oversight chair for ePMA, said: “This marks another key milestone for ePMA in Wales and it’s so exciting that Cwm Taf Morgannwg UHB is now a step closer to starting to implement this technology that will deliver safer care for patients and help staff to become more efficient.

“Moving from paper-based processes to a digital system will revolutionise how medicines are managed, and health care is delivered”.

Andrew Evans, chief pharmaceutical officer for Wales, said:  “The health board becomes the third since March to confirm its plans to roll out ePMA across all its hospitals, with the national programme benefiting from the Welsh Government’s significant investment to digitise all aspects of the prescribing and administration of medicines in Wales.

“ePMA has the potential to transform how care is provided in our hospitals, improving efficiency and safety and benefiting patients and clinicians alike”.

CTM UHB is the second health board in Wales to select Nervecentre as its preferred ePMA supplier, following Cardiff and Vale University Health Board which announced a partnership with Nervecentre in March 2024.

Paul Volkaerts, CEO of Nervecentre, said that the collaboration with CTM UHB would “unlock transformative benefits for clinicians and ultimately deliver superior care to patients across the region”.

Meanwhile, Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, the largest health board in Wales, has announced plans to go live with the Better Meds ePMA system by March 2026.