Two suppliers have been awarded funding as part of the Community Pharmacy System Innovation Fund in Wales, to support them develop their systems to support an electronic prescription service.
The grants are designed to help suppliers develop their systems, with a goal to receive prescriptions digitally and omit the use of paper. It is hoped that the grants will support suppliers to introduce innovative changes; resulting in paperless dispensing and encourage digital integration with the new NHS Wales app when it is launched.
PharmacyX and TITAN PMR are the first two companies who have been awarded grants and can now begin to develop their systems. It is thought that the introduction of an EPS in primary care in Wales will make the process of prescribing and dispensing medicines safer, easier and more efficient for patients and health care professionals.
The work is a key part of the Digital Medicines Transformation Portfolio which is hosted by Digital Health and Care Wales. It aims to enable prescribers (such as GPs) to send prescriptions electronically to a dispenser, such as a community pharmacy or other accessible service chosen by the patient.
The funding programme offers suppliers three tiers to bid across, with up to £111,562.50 available for each successful applicant. The tiers cover:
- Tier One: To develop and implement the changes necessary to community pharmacy systems to enable EPS in a Wales-based pharmacy through an assured patient medication record. This tier must be completed successfully before suppliers can apply for tiers two and three funding.
- Tier Two: To allow for paperless processes in community pharmacies (notwithstanding the right of a patient to request a paper prescription if they wish).
- Tier Three: To be able to send push notifications to the NHS Wales App to advise that a person’s medicines have been prepared and are ready for collection, along with the location of the pharmacy and its opening hours.
The Community Pharmacy System Innovation Fund is available to suppliers of digital community pharmacy systems in Wales and applications remain open until October 2024.
Professor Hamish Laing, Senior Responsible Officer for Digital Medicines Transformation Portfolio, commented: “It is fantastic to see this fund moving so quickly and making its first awards just a few weeks after it was launched. We look forward to receiving applications from more suppliers in the next funding round so that we can accelerate the developments in community pharmacies right across Wales.”
To find out more about eligibility and further information of the scheme, please click here.
