The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 279 No 7464 p143
11 August 2007

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News summary

Contractors could miss out on benefits of EPS release 2 if online data are not up to date

Pharmacy contractors must ensure that information held on the NHS choices website is up to date or they risk being disadvantaged when Release 2 of the Electronic Prescription Service (EPS) starts later this year (2007).

The Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee is advising contractors to check now whether the information is correct, in particular that the pharmacy name displayed is the pharmacy’s current trading name.

Release 2 of the EPS will allow patients to nominate the pharmacy at which they would routinely like their prescriptions dispensed. They will be able to do so at any GP surgery or pharmacy, and eventually, online on the NHS Healthspace website.

Information on Release 2-enabled pharmacies will be provided by nhs.uk, which will automatically be updated by the Prescription Pricing Division when pharmacies become enabled. It is, therefore, important that information is up to date so that prescribers can locate and nominate a particular pharmacy on their prescribing system.

Contractors wishing to amend their nhs.uk entry — including changing the name, address, telephone number, opening hours or the services provided — should make a written request via their primary care trust.

NHS Connecting for Health and the PSNC will be issuing guidance on the nomination function and on collecting patient consent for nomination shortly.