EC announces large scale eHealth pilot
The European Commission has begun its tendering process for a large scale pilot of an EU wide implementation of eHealth services to support continuity of care. Speaking at the EC’s ICT Policy Support Programme – Work Programme 2007 launch day in Brussels on 24 May, Dr Gérard Comyn, head of the EC’s ICT for Health […]
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ScriptSwitch acquired by Isis for almost £10m
Prescribing advice specialists ScriptSwitch has been acquired by Isis Equity Partners in a deal worth almost £10m. The Coventry based firm provides medicines management software to primary care trusts. ScriptSwitch’s managing director, Mike Washburn, said: “ScriptSwitch is a unique prescribing tool that has created its own market opportunity. We are well poised for growth and […]
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NAO says information vital to cutting prescribing costs
A National Audit Office study has found that the NHS could save £200m a year by GPs prescribing drugs fewer branded drugs and instead using generics. It concludes that better information is a vital factor to help GPs analyse their knowledge and keep their knowledge up to date. The report says that £200m a year […]
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Patients rate choice as a low priority
Choice finished near-bottom of a list of 82 priorities shown to patients in a study carried out for the health regulator, the Healthcare Commission. There were three statements in the inpatient importance questionnaire asking respondents whether they were offered a choice of admission date, choice of hospital, and information to make an informed choice of hospital. […]
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Diabetes prescribing decision support tool launched
A new computerised prescribing decision support tool that will provide healthcare professionals with patient-specific, evidence-based support in the management of Type 2 diabetes will be launched today by academics at Keele University. The tool has been developed by the university’s Department of Medicines Management and delivers tailored management recommendations by cross-referencing individual patient profiles with […]
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Voicemails prompt patients to pick up medicine
A message system that enables pharmacists to leave an automatically-generated voicemail for patients whose prescriptions are ready for collection is to be offered by a major pharmacy systems supplier. Message Dynamics has reached a heads of agreement to integrate its messaging system with Cegedim Rx’s Pharmacy Manager and Nexphase. The agreement covers two Message Dynamics products: the Repeat Rx […]
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Pharmacists reject prescription printing plan
Community pharmacists claim they may still have to print out more than a quarter of prescription tokens when release two of the electronic prescription service (EPS) is introduced later this year. Representatives at the annual conference of the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) passed a motion “rejecting in the strongest terms” the plans to print […]
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Scottish GPs to start issuing barcoded scrips
Scotland’s electronic transmission of prescriptions project is to get underway in April when GP practices will begin to produce barcoded prescriptions for almost all prescribing. By the end of the next financial year Scotland aims to have fully implemented ETP via its eAcute Medication Service (eAMS) and implemented repeat dispensing through its eChronic Medication Service […]
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Systems Solution get EPS clinical authority certificate
Irish pharmacy specialists Systems Solutions have passed Connecting for Health’s Release 1 compliance for its electronic prescriptions service (EPS) product QicScript. QicScript is an EPS system which provides the management control for a pharmacy business. It has advanced features designed to manage today’s most important pharmacy issues, and enables pharmacists to reduce their costs and […]
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Wider engagement with pharmacists could yield benefits
Wider engagement with community pharmacists which could deliver a range of new services with the appropriate IT support and access to electronic records is being ignored by the NHS IT programme in England, according to a pharmacy body. The Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB) has told an inquiry into the future of pharmacy […]
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