Scotland’s e-pharmacy programme moves forward
Pharmacy IT progress in Scotland has been steady in recent years |
Progress in the development of IT to support the new
pharmacy contract in Scotland means that the four core services of the contract will be phased in as IT to support them becomes available. Implementation is still on track to begin in April 2006.
In a health department letter issued this week, the Scottish Executive
describes how the e-pharmacy programme is advancing and announces an
initiative to train pharmacists to use the new systems.
According to Frank Owens, chairman of the Scottish Pharmaceutical General
Council: “Both the Scottish Executive Health Department and SPGC
are agreed that each of the service components of the new contract should
only begin roll out as and when an e-capability is ready to support that
service. Our current intention is that, provided an adequate funding
package can be agreed, we roll out the minor ailment service and its
associated electronic application, e-MAS, together with the public health
service component, as of April 2006.”
Part of the reason that e-MAS was tackled first is that it relies solely
on pharmacy computer systems, unlike the chronic medication service and
acute medication service which require input from GP systems. The e-pharmacy
programme is now working on these services.
“Current plans are for the phased implementation of these applications
from mid-2006 and to be fully operational from April 2007,” the
SEHD says. A new electronic remuneration and reimbursement system called
e-Pay will be developed in parallel.
In the meantime, a central patient registration system for e-MAS, which
allows patient registration through N3 in a community pharmacy, is ready. “The
intention is that, under the new contract, the minor ailments service
will be administered on an e-basis only,” the SEHD says. “This
means that contractors’ IM&T systems and the PMR suppliers’ operating
systems must meet all specification requirements by, and ideally before,
April 2006.”
Three system suppliers, accounting for 70 per cent of the market share,
should have live e-MAS software by the end of August.
All community pharmacies in Scotland will be connected to N3 by this
autumn. The SEHD explains that there are two forms of connection — a
closed user group for individual pharmacies and small groups, and a head
office connection for large multiple chains.
New “community pharmacy IM&T facilitator” posts at health
boards to provide pharmacists with training and support in using e-pharmacy
applications were also announced. The facilitators will be based in existing
local IM&T facilitation teams, which are currently concentrating
on supporting the new GP contract. |
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Pharmaceutical Journal
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