Electronic Prescription Service (EPS) now available in Cardiff and Vale University Health Board
Some patients in Cardiff and Vale University Health Board are benefitting from a convenient digital service which allows GP practices to send prescriptions electronically to the community pharmacy or dispenser of their choice.
The Electronic Prescription Service (EPS) is now being used in the Vale as part of a wider roll out across Wales. The service marks one of the biggest changes in decades to the way prescriptions are managed in NHS Wales, making prescribing easier and safer for patients and healthcare professionals.
EPS means that prescriptions can be sent electronically from a GP or other prescriber to a pharmacy or dispenser without the need for a paper form. It is helping to improve patient care and aims to reduce the amount of paper forms printed by NHS Wales.
Sully Surgery in Penarth was the first in our health board to start using EPS. The implementation was supported by Sully Pharmacy and MW Phillips in Cadoxton. Since then, it has gone live at further sites and you can see the full list here.
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 CAVUHB. We are now working hard to roll it out to every community across Wales as quickly and safely as possible.”
EPS is a key part of the Digital Medicines national transformation programme, managed by DHCW.
With EPS, patients no longer need to visit their surgery to pick up a repeat prescription form. Prescriptions can be tracked from the practice to the dispenser, meaning staff can see at all times where a prescription is and eliminating the risk of a piece of paper being lost.
The service is free, more efficient and secure. Patients who want to use EPS do not need to go online or use a laptop or smartphone. They simply tell staff at their GP practice or nominated pharmacy or dispenser that they would like to use the service.