EPS pilot to restart after early glitch
One of England’s first electronic prescription service (EPS) pilots has been shut down for more than a month because of problems with the GP clinical system supplier’s software. Brigstock Pharmacy in Croydon, South London, began to receive prescriptions from its neighbouring GP practice in December but the pilot had to be halted because the practice’s […]
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Pharmacists to get access to EPS but not CRS
Pharmacists are to be registered for access to the NHS spine to enable electronic transmission of prescriptions but will be excluded from access to the NHS Care Records Service for the time being, latest guidance reveals. The guidance sent out to primary care trusts by the Department of Health and NHS Connecting for Health states […]
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Pharmacists urged to contact PCTs on smart cards
Pharmacy representatives are telling pharmacists to contact their primary care trusts over smartcard availability as Connecting for Health publishes its first set of guidance for pharmacists on the electronic prescription service (EPS). The Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee says it is “strongly advising” pharmacists to contact their PCT to find out what the local arrangements will […]
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Physio and OT telephone-based services win awards
Two telephone based systems for physiotherapy and occupational therapy have been selected as winners in the 2005 NHS health and social care awards. OT Direct, a service run by Hampshire County Council, enables service users who require occupational therapy equipment to call a dedicated telephone line where requests are triaged. Those requiring simple equipment such […]
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Pharmacists call for GP booking facility
Pharmacy representatives are calling for a ‘Choose and Book’ style system to be set up between pharmacies and GP practices so that pharmacists can book GP appointments for patients. The idea has been proposed by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB) as part of its submission to the Department of Health’s consultation […]
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N3 connections needed say community pharmacists
Lack of access to smartcards and the N3 network by community pharmacists is jeopardising the roll out of the electronic prescribing service (EPS) and important elements of the new pharmacy contract, according to the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC). But NHS Connecting for Health has rejected the claim, saying that the EPS is rolling out […]
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ETP potential
EHI talks to Tim Donohoe, group director at Connecting for Health, about the development of the national electronic prescribing service.
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Bavaria launches patient-controlled health records
The German Patient-Partner Association (PPV), a health provider network, and the German statutory health insurance organisation AOK Bavaria are to introduce electronic communications between GPs and patients. The system will include a patient-controlled personal electronic health record, which enables patients to determine who can access their record, or nominate their doctor or carer to set […]
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Electronic medication reminders help elderly
PCTs in Staffordshire have started piloting a scheme where elderly people are reminded to take their medication with an electronic prompting device. The Medicine Reminder Initiative, a collaboration between housing services, pharmacists, social services and Newcastle under Lyme and South West Staffordshire PCT, was started in order to give vulnerable people support in remembering […]
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Data quality vital to electronic transfer of prescriptions
Keighley, the first pilot site for electronic transfer of prescriptions (ETP), has found that before new national systems can be used, staff must first fully reconcile any discrepancies between patient details from the local practice system and the patient demographic details held on the NHS Spine. Being first to implement ETP meant Keighley had to […]
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