The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 278 No 7450 p516
5 May 2007

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AMS will test electronic prescription transfer

Scotland's acute medication service (AMS) will initially be used to demonstrate the process of electronic transfer of prescriptions, the Scottish Executive confirmed this week.

The long-term goal is to divide prescriptions into those for acute and those for chronic conditions. Acute prescriptions will be processed through AMS and chronic prescriptions through the chronic medication service (CMS).

However, this cannot happen until CMS is introduced in 2008.

Alison Strath, principal pharmaceutical officer at the Scottish Executive, told The Journal: “In the first instance, we are using AMS to test the infrastructure for electronic transfer of prescriptions. We need to demonstrate that the infrastructure for single prescriptions works and ensure that pharmacists are comfortable with the process before moving to the next stage. Once this has been tested, GPs will be able to take repeat prescriptions out of AMS and move them into serial dispensing within CMS, where appropriate.”