All-Wales digital pharmacy service to improve prescribing across hospitals

Hospitals in Wales are set to benefit from a new hi-tech pharmacy system as part of the first phase to modernise pharmacy and prescribing.

NHS Wales Informatics Service (NWIS) has signed a seven-year contract with Wellsky for an all-Wales hospital pharmacy system to replace the existing 30-year old software.

The new system will be designed to improve computerised dispensing and medicines stock management.

Colin Powell, chief pharmacist for acute services at Aneurin Bevan, said: “This will be a new way of working for hospital pharmacy with improved data and reporting to shape future services.”

The pharmacy services is more efficient and offers joined up care and a consistent way of working across hospitals, delivering benefits to pharmacy departments, clinicians and patients.

It will link medication dispensing and usage data using nationally recognised standards to allow for a more comprehensive, real time view of this information across Wales.

Robert Tysall-Blay, chief executive of WellSky International, added: “The all Wales pharmacy project will assist transformational change and provide an enhanced service.

“WellSky International is delighted to be working with NWIS and the wider Welsh pharmacy community on this exciting new national digital project.”

The programme is the first step in the journey to implement national electronic prescribing and medicines administration in hospitals in NHS Wales.

It will replace paper prescriptions and medicines administration records with a digital system in order to optimising processes and improve patient safety.

The new all-Wales pharmacy system will roll out to all Welsh hospitals from mid-2020, followed by a procurement for an e-prescribing system.

The programme is one in a string of digital transformation projects across Wales.

In December all radiology reports across NHS Wales became available through the Welsh Clinical Portal, giving clinicians greater access to pathology reports wherever a patient receives care.

The go live means clinicians in all Welsh hospitals can now view both radiology and pathology test results from across Wales all in one place.