The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 268 No 7190 p385-391
23 March 2002

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UniChem (www.unichem.co.uk)

UniChem changes sides in ETP pilots

UniChem announced this week that it has joined the Flexiscript consortium for the electronic transfer of prescriptions. The move follows UniChem's departure from another ETP consortium at the end of last year.

The Flexiscript pilot is based on the pull (or relay) model of prescription transfer and will be run in Peterborough. UniChem was originally part of the TransScript consortium that operated a push model of prescription transfer. However, it left that consortium in December saying that it did not believe that the push model represented the way forward for ETP (PJ, 15 December 2001, p841).

Chris Etherington, managing director, UniChem, said on 19 March: "We believe that the success of the relay model lies in its ability to automate the existing system. The model offered by Flexiscript in our opinion provides better patient choice and ultimately will provide greater potential for additional development."

The Flexiscript consortium now consists of UniChem, SchlumbergerSema, Boots The Chemists, National Co-operative Chemists, Cable & Wireless and Microsoft. A spokeswoman for the consortium was unable to give a date when its pilot project would start.