Search
Our Supporters
You are here: News » News Archive 2009 » EPS2
EPS2
Is it happening?
DH thinks so; others less certain
Dr Allan Tennant reports
29th of October 2009
The DDA has been attending meetings for over three years with connecting for health on EPS. These meetings do not appear to result in much progress.
Regular readers will know that there is no dispensing doctor EPS software.
You may ask yourself why this is.
When the DH was writing the instructions for EPS software at the beginning of the tendering process, they forgot to mention dispensing doctors. To add requirements for software for us now would cost money, which they do not wish to spend.
In November 2007 we told you rollout of EPS2 would not start until spring or summer of 2008.
One pharmacy in Leeds has been operating EPS2 since the 28th of July 2009. NHS Prescription Services told DDA Online that in the first 3 months they have processed 200 items on 92 forms, from the pharmacy.
By the end of this month 4 pharmacies will be submitting prescriptions electronically.
Expected technical accreditation dates are from now to December 2010 for pharmacy dispensing systems.
The DDA has been talking to some system suppliers. One supplier told us that the reason they were doing no work on dispensing doctor systems was that EPS2 is so far away from launch and currently nothing is working. It has been suggested to us that the market will respond to our needs closer to the time of full launch.
A Department of Health spokesman replied to the above
"Implementation of Release 2 of the Electronic Prescription Service is being introduced into primary care settings including dispensing practices. By the end of November 2009, four dispensing systems, which represent over 75 per cent market share, and two prescribing systems, which represent over 30 percent market share, will be deployed to a number of pilot sites which include a dispensing doctor practice.
"Implementation is being managed in a controlled way as part of a rigorous testing process that would be expected of a national clinical service. Only GPs in primary care trusts listed in secretary of state directions are authorised to issue electronic prescriptions. There is no limit on dispensing contractors who can deploy a Release 2 compliant system once it is available. Ultimately, individual sites will be able to make a decision on when they start to use the service."
We asked a follow up question, "Which dispensing practices are referring too in your reply, so we can talk to them to find out how it is going with their dispensing patients."
The DH spokesperson replied: We aren't naming the dispensing doctor practice at the moment. It is at an early stage in the process.
It would seem quite reasonable as a representative body who is working with Connecting for Health on EPS for us to know which practice it is so we can find out how things are working for them and their patients. Without this knowledge we only have one side of the story.
We also asked which dispensing and prescribing systems they are talking about because between June and September most system suppliers put back their anticipated launch date by more than 3 months (more than the time that had elapsed!). The DH spokesperson told DDA Online, "The prescribing systems we are referring to are CSC/TPP SystmOne and InPractice Vision. The dispensing systems we are referring to are Cegedim Pharmacy Manager, Cegedim Nexphase, Rx ProScript, and Lloyds Pharmacy's Compass system."
The DDA are not the only organisation concerned about EPS2 development delays and benefits.
Chemist & Druggist report Pharmacy bodies yet to be convinced by EPS
They suggest that pharmacy representatives are unsure of EPS benefits and system suppliers are unhappy with the formers lack of enthusiasm.
C&D have another story entitled Rash EPS rollout could bring supply chain to its knees, warn multiples
They suggest that EPS could push the pharmacy supply system over the edge in a single week, without rigorous testing. They quote the Association of Independent Multiple Pharmacies chairman as saying, "If technology slowed the dispensing process by 30 seconds per item it would add an estimated £150 million a year to the cost of service delivery"