Scotland ahead of the UK with new electronic prescriptions service

Published on Monday 13 July 2009 16:20

AN ELECTRONIC prescribing link between doctors and high street chemists is a UK first for the health service in Scotland, officials said today.

The system, now enabled in 99% of Scotland's GP practices and pharmacies, is the first national system of its type.

It enables doctors to transmit prescriptions direct into pharmacists' electronic systems, cutting down paperwork and reducing the risk of error.

Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon, who viewed the system today in Glasgow, said: "Scottish medicine is rightly proud of its innovation and the development and adoption of this new technology expansion continues this valuable tradition."

The new system does not, however, spell the end for paper prescriptions although it will cut much of the paperwork involved in the process.

Under the new system a GP can write a prescription which is inputted electronically into the online system used by pharmacists.

At the same time a print out, with a barcode, is given to the patient.

The patient takes the printout to a chemist where it is scanned and the details are called up.

As well as reducing the risk of error system has other features, like using universal codes for medicines, which should boost efficiency.

Ms Sturgeon said: "We have a very successful prescribing system in Scotland, with around one million paper prescriptions written by GPs every week and dispensed in community pharmacies. But we can always do more and that's what eAMS (electronic Acute Medication Service) will achieve.

"With eAMS we are now seeing more than 90% of prescriptions submitted electronically."

She went on: "This shows the demand among GPs and pharmacists to work together to make the best use of the latest technology to improve services for patients."