Testing of EPS release 2 at least six months behind
Testing of release 2 of the electronic prescription service (EPS) will start at least six months later than originally planned with no dates yet specified for three out of 12 pharmacy systems.
Pharmacy system suppliers estimate that the first EPS release 2 compliant systems will be ready to test in initial implementer sites in England in April. However, dates have not been estimated for the system offered by AAH and in-house systems for Boots The Chemists and Lloydspharmacy.
Initial implementations of release 2 of the EPS, originally planned for 1 October 2007, have been put back due to delays in developing and testing software. The dates that pharmacy system suppliers expect to achieve approval for national roll-out range from June to February 2009. The first GP system is expected to be ready for roll-out in July, with the latest approval date listed as April 2009.
“System suppliers have provided estimated dates by which they will complete the technical development and initial implementation stages of the compliance process. This information will enable GPs and dispensing contractors to see when an EPS release 2 compliant version of their system will be available,” NHS Connecting for Health said last week as it published the status of pharmacy and GP systems on its website.
NHS CfH said that a number of activities are under way to prepare for release 2 initial implementations, including the selection of initial implementer sites within primary care trusts, the distribution of dispensing token stationery and the production of communication and guidance materials. “NHS CfH is also working with the PCTs and pharmacy representative organisations to drive up the usage of release 1 systems, recognising that this gives users the opportunity to become familiar with the new processes before EPS becomes business critical with release 2,” it added. About 80 per cent of GP surgeries and community pharmacies have now had the necessary software upgrades for release 1.
Gareth Jones, NHS Liaison manager at the National Pharmacy Association, said that pharmacy contractors still have a number of concerns about release 2 of the service. “People are worried about how nomination will work and how workflow in the dispensary will change,” he said. For example, will people start dispensing and checking against labels, the computer screen or will they print out a paper copy of the electronic prescription, he asked.
Smartcards
There were 4,147 smartcards (used to access the electronic prescription service and care records) reported lost or stolen by 1 January this year from a total of 429,691 cards issued, said NHS CfH in response to a suggestion on BBC Online last week that the number of lost cards across England could be as high as 6,000. “As soon as a smartcard is reported lost it is disabled. It cannot be used by anyone finding it without a six figure passcode, which is issued directly to users when their identity is confirmed,” it said. At least 1.2 million healthcare professionals will eventually require smartcards to access the NHS spine. |
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