NHS Digital has announced a real time exemption checking system is to be rolled-out nationally.
The system enables pharmacies to immediately check in real time if a patient is eligible for free prescriptions.
Alison O’Brien, Head of Exemption Checking Services, NHS Business Services Authority “Customers and pharmacists have told us they welcome an automated check being made in the pharmacy when claiming free prescriptions. We’re pleased that the pilot was such a success, and now more pharmacies and customers will be able to benefit from the advantages of real time checking.”
The service lets pharmacy staff see if a patient needs to pay for their prescription when it is dispensed, saving time and helping patients claim free prescriptions correctly. Currently, checks on exemptions are carried out by the pharmacist manually during dispensing.
The system developed by NHS Digital and the NHS Business Services Authority was piloted in 40 pharmacies using a dispensing system supplied by Positive Solutions. It is now being expanded to other pharmacies in England that use this system, and other dispensing system providers are working towards using the RTEC service.
Ian Lowry, Director of Product Development at NHS Digital, said “It is great to be able to build on the success of electronic prescription service in this way, improving the service for patients and driving efficiencies in prescription processing.”
NHS Digital said it typically takes up to two minutes to check each request manually, with the new system removing this process, and has estimated to have saved 4,500 hours to date.
The system has will be rolled-out this year. A pilot is also underway involving DWP benefit exemption checking.
