The first early adopter site for Release 2 of the Electronic Prescription Service is expected to go live in the next four to six weeks.
Dr Manpreet Pujara, NHS Connecting for Health’s clinical director for the EPS, told the EMIS National User Group conference last week that it was hoped a GP system – not EMIS – would go into an early adopter site within six weeks.
The initial implementation sites for Release 2 have been divided into two waves, with five primary care trusts – Berkshire East, Leicestershire County and Rutland, Liverpool, Southwark and Sunderland – in the first wave.
Release 2 of the EPS, which will deliver increased functionality for pharmacists, GPs and patients, is running about a year late. Initial implementation sites were originally due to begin in October 2007.
Dr Pujara said: “The main reason for the delay has been supplier capacity in both pharmacy and primary care.”
He told the conference that only 24% of prescription messages were being transmitted electronically under Release 1 and urged GP practices to begin using the system. He also encouraged practices to start using repeat dispensing before electronic repeat dispensing goes live with Release 2.
He told the conference: “Repeat dispensing is a win-win situation now and EPS will improve the functionality, so that you will be able to cancel prescriptions electronically and it will save you significant time when there are medication changes.”
Release 2 of EPS will enable patients to nominate a pharmacy but Dr Pujara said the expectation was that most nominations would be handled by pharmacies rather than through GP practices.