How do electronic prescription services work in the UK?

Electronic prescriptions (e-prescriptions) offer the opportunity for medical professionals to send electronic prescriptions directly to a pharmacy, cutting out the need for paper prescriptions.

This paperless service improves efficiency substantially, saving the clinic significant time on administrative tasks, minimising errors and allowing patients to get their medication faster.

Electronic prescriptions services guidelines also exist in order to ensure safety and security for patients. Anyone looking to introduce e-prescriptions as part of their offerings will need to adhere to certain compliance requirements.

Looking to make your private clinic paperless? E-prescription software like Healistic could save staff +10 hours weekly and boost efficiency in your practice. Get in touch today to find out more.

How Do Electronic Prescription Services Work in the UK?

In the UK, the Electronic Prescription Service (EPS) allow electronic prescriptions to be sent from doctors directly to a chosen pharmacy.

By removing the paper element of prescriptions, the process of prescribing and dispensing is much more efficient and minimises the risk of common errors like the prescription getting lost or handwriting being misinterpreted.

For the NHS EPS, patients can nominate which pharmacy they want to receive their prescription. The nominated pharmacy will download the prescription and dispense the medication. The patient can then go and collect it at their convenience.

There are also platforms specifically for private e-prescriptions that work in a similar way.

Doctors can issue an e-prescription within seconds. Then, depending on the chosen digital prescription platform, this could be sent to a pharmacy or even directly to the patient for maximum convenience.

What is the Difference Between Electronic Prescription Services and Regular Prescription Services?

Electronic prescription services, rather than regular, are digital instead of paper. They involve an electronically transmitted prescription (from medical professional to pharmacy) and operate in a paperless format.

This means that they reduce paper use and minimise risk of dispensing errors that occur with handwritten prescriptions. They also allow for stock optimisation and a faster experience for patients.

It can automate processes such as repeat prescriptions to save time for both the doctor and the patient.

What are the Legal Requirements for an E-Prescriptions in the UK?

When issuing e-prescriptions, there are certain legal requirements that must be adhered to including:

• Signed using an advanced electronic signature
• Prescriber’s information (including their position as a prescriber and their address)
• Patient details (name and address and age if the patient is under 12)
• Date of the prescription

There are also additional guidelines when prescribing Controlled Drugs via e-prescription.

For more information, see our guide around legal requirements for issuing e-prescriptions.

Who Can Legally Use Electronic Prescription Services in the UK?

The NHS are already widely using electronic prescriptions but other private clinicians are also entitled to prescribe private e-prescriptions. Those eligible for use include:

• GPs
• Psychiatrists (especially those prescribing Controlled Drugs)
• Women‘s health providers (hormone therapy)
• Endocrinology specialists
• Dermatologists
• Sexual health and wellness practitioners
• Aesthetic and cosmetic doctors
• Digital-first and telehealth clinics
• Concierge and home-visit GPs

Any UK-registered doctor issuing private prescriptions may be eligible to use e-prescription software for private clinics.

What are the Benefits of Using Electronic Prescription Services?

The many benefits of using e-prescription services include:

Improved efficiency - the digitalisation of prescriptions has made things far more efficient for both prescribers and dispensers, cutting down admin time.

Enhanced patient experience - a faster, more convenient experience

Fewer errors - switching from paper to digital reduces the risks of errors associated with manual processes.

Safer and more secure - direct electronic prescriptions from doctor to pharmacy means that medication is received correctly and medication is dispensed accurately.

Automated repeat prescriptions - repeat prescriptions can be more efficiently managed through automation of processes.

Integrated systems - e-prescription software can integrate with various systems to cross-reference prescription decisions with existing patient medical records.

What are the Three Legal Categories of Medication in the UK?

In the UK, there are 3 legal categories of medicines:

Prescription Only Medicines - can be supplied by a pharmacist following a prescription from a healthcare practitioner. E-prescriptions fall into this category.

Pharmacy Medicines - “over-the-counter” medicines - can be sold by a pharmacist without a prescription.

General Sales List Medicines - can be sold in shops (not just pharmacies) without a prescription.

How Much Do Electronic Prescription Services Cost in the UK?

NHS electronic prescriptions in the UK are the same price as regular NHS prescriptions - some medications or patients are eligible for free prescriptions while some are paid. The service of sending prescriptions directly from the clinic to pharmacies is free for clinics.

For private e-prescriptions, patients pay for the cost of the medication.

E-prescription software is totally free for clinics - from set-up to issuing prescriptions. Because they operate with a network of pharmacies, rather than one specific pharmacy, they offer patients optimised stock availability and also the most competitive prices.

Why are there Guidelines Around Electronic Prescriptions?

Electronic prescription service guidelines - the guidelines in place for anyone operating with e-prescriptions - are there to improve efficiency for doctors and patients, ensure patient safety and make the process of prescribing and dispensing medications more standardised.

They are in place to prevent clerical errors that may occur and improve how mediation is managed in the long term.

They exist for:

Patient safety - e-prescriptions minimise the risk of errors in prescriptions, not only avoiding misinterpretation of illegible handwriting but also automatically checking for any potential allergies or drug interactions. It is a more accurate system and can avoid incorrect dosages or medication instructions. E-prescribing also facilitates remote prescriptions, allowing patients in remote locations to access medication.

Efficiency and convenience - e-prescribing speeds up the process and cuts back on time-consuming admin, making it faster for doctors, pharmacies and patients. For clinics, it can free up multiple hours in a week, allowing them to focus on enhanced patient care.

Standardisation - with guidelines in place, anyone issuing e-prescriptions has a clear set of standards to follow, allowing interoperability across systems and improving overall care.

Compliance - the guidelines are also in place so that all practitioners issuing e-prescriptions follow legal and regulatory compliance to ensure safe dispensing of medications as well as upholding data protection laws for patients.

Issue Private Electronic Prescriptions in the UK with Healistic

Healistic is a software that makes e-prescribing simple and safe for private clinics.

With Healistic, practitioners can issue private e-prescriptions in seconds, reducing admin significantly and saving clinic staff +10 hours weekly. It’s free for clinics to use and 100% GDPR and ICO compliant, ensuring total security.

From seamlessly integrating with medical records to automating repeat prescriptions, it is there to ease the process and free up valuable time for medical professionals.

Want to sign up? Get in touch today to find out more.