Home Roll Out
With patient safety, access and choice of paramount importance, a phased approach has been adopted to implementing the Electronic Prescription Service. The service is being rolled out through two software releases over four phases of implementation:
| Software Release | Phase |
| 1 |
1 - Release 1 Initial Implementation 2 - Nationwide Deployment of Release 1 |
| 2 |
3 - Release 2: Initial Implementation followed by nationwide deployment of Release 2 4 - Full ETP (requires further regulatory change) |
This staged approach also supports the managed introduction of the service and minimises the risk of introducing competitive imbalances.
Release 1 of the service offers pharmacies very limited functionality; pharmacies are able to ‘pull down’ electronic prescription messages from the prescription database on the Spine on receipt of a barcoded prescription, auto populating the local pharmacy system.
The real benefit of Release 1 is that it is putting the foundations in place to support effective roll out of future releases of the software and importantly, it is allowing pharmacies time to identify issues with the system before the service starts to become business critical when Release 2 is rolled out.
Initial implementation of Release 1 of the Service began in 2005. The great majority of pharmacies in England are now EPS Release 1 enabled.
The roll out of Release 2 of the service will signal the start of Phase 3 of implementation. Outlined in detail in this guide, Release 2 will support the use of electronic signatures, electronic repeat dispensing, patient nomination of their preferred pharmacy, the cancellation of electronic prescriptions, and the submission of prescriptions electronically to the NHSBSA Prescription Pricing Division (NHSBSA PPD).
Initially, it will only be possible for a prescriber to issue an electronic NHS prescription where it is being sent electronically to a patient’s nominated pharmacy.
It is anticipated that there will be variability in the time taken by suppliers to bring Release 2 enabled systems to market. In developing their systems, both pharmacy and prescribing system suppliers are required to participate in NHS Connecting for Health’s (NHS CFH) ‘Common Assurance Process’ which assures compliance with the requirements laid down by Connecting for Health. Requirements relate not only to the functionality available in systems but also to data security, clinical safety, service management and deployment plans.
Definitive information on which versions of a supplier’s system are considered either Release 1 or Release 2 compliant can be found on the Connecting for Health website.
Once the majority of dispensing sites are operating Release 2, and following further regulatory change, it is anticipated that it will also be possible for electronic prescriptions to be issued where the patient does not want to nominate a pharmacy. This is often referred to as ‘full ETP’ and will form Phase 4 of implementation of the service.
In the longer term, through further releases of the software, additional functionality is expected to be made available to pharmacies, for example, support for minor ailment schemes and medicines supply through patient group directions. And subject to the necessary policy agreement, it is also hoped that, in time, community pharmacists will be provided with appropriate role-based access to clinical information held on the NHS Care Records Service.
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NHS CFH/DH Key Principles for Rolling out EPS Release 2:
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