Electronic prescription service now live in every Welsh health board

The electronic prescription service (EPS) is now available at some GP practices and community pharmacies in every health board in Wales following go lives in Cwm Taf Morgannwg, Swansea Bay and Hywel Dda University Health Boards (UHBs).

The system, which went live in Cwm Taf Morgannwg in August 2024, Swansea Bay in September 2024 and Hywel Dda earlier this month, 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.

Electronic prescribing in Wales was first launched in Rhyl, in Betsi Cadwaladr UHB, in November 2023 before going live in Conwy in March 2024, with electronic prescriptions being sent from Llanfairfechan’s Plas Menai Surgery to two local pharmacies, Boots in Llanfairfechan and Gwynan Edwards in Penmaenmawr.

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.

In Hywel Dda UHB, the EPS launched at Neyland Health Centre in Pembrokeshire, supported by Neyland Pharmacy, Boots in Milford Haven and Noott’s Pharmacy in Johnston.

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.”

Pugh-Jones also confirmed that 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 DHCW.

Pharmacy X was announced in September 2024, as the latest healthcare technology supplier to help deliver the EPS across Wales, following EMIS, Clanwilliam, Invatech, Boots and Positive Solutions.