Almost 80% of Wales’ health boards have signed deals to use ScriptSwitch prescription advice software.
Nineteen out of the 22 local health boards in the country now use ScriptSwitch software, which assists prescribers in making consistent and cost effective decisions based on the most up-to-date clinical information.
ScriptSwitch is now engaged in talks with the three remaining health boards, and hope to have 100% coverage in Wales in the near future.
ScriptSwitch’s head of sales, Nigel Potter, said: “The health boards in Wales have a real desire to make a genuine difference, which goes some way in explaining the high uptake.
“They have an innovative attitude and are always striving to improve performance and we applaud them for that.”
A recent Welsh Modernisation Assessment report by the National Leadership and Innovation Agency for Healthcare highlighted the potential benefit of using ScriptSwitch in primary care.
It referred to the potential of the software to help make better use of primary care resources by improving medicines management and prescribing around the country.
Potter added: “Wales have really grasped the nettle and have said that our support software can help their medicines management. That is not only because of cost optimisation, but also because of the software’s unique capability as a real time communication tool for GPs, which helps them make the most informed decisions possible.
“We have had some great results and the uptake has been really encouraging. They are getting some tremendous savings along with greater choice and consistency when prescribing.”
Research by ScriptSwitch estimates that more than £1m has already been saved throughout the country in 2007 and that figure is expected to rise considerably in 2008 as the other health boards look to take the software.
The research also estimates the software can provide a cost benefit for an average practice in the UK of around £40,000 per annum – or a potential benefit in excess of £400m to the wider NHS.
In England, the company currently work with 54 PCTs, approximately 30% of the total market opportunity.
Potter concluded: “We are still gaining good ground in England. We are celebrating our first contract in the south west with North Somerset PCT and there is a lot of room for growth; we are very excited about the future.”
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Joe Fernandez