The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 280 No 7497 p438
12 April 2008

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• White paper
• Community pharmacy
• Domain names
• Minor ailment scheme
• Electronic prescriptions
• Hospital pharmacy
• Procurement
• Euthanasia
• Council election
• Health and safety
• The Society (2)

Letters to the Editor

Electronic prescriptions

Evaluate before roll-out

From Mr M. Bennett, FRPharmS

As someone who has eagerly embraced new technology throughout my career I find it rather uncomfortable to be writing what may appear to be a Luddite reaction to the electronic prescription service (EPS).

Last month, the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee distributed its guidance for contractors, which provides an excellent overview and I urge everyone to read it carefully. It can be downloaded it from the website at www.psnc.org.uk
(PDF 850K)

Readers might then like to consider how this complicated system will work in a busy pharmacy, given the potential for the whole operation to come to an abrupt halt should a connection go down or power be lost. Finally, they can contemplate the benefits for all concerned and weigh this against the cost, potential disruption and the inevitable problems caused when patients are unable to obtain their medicines.

Before we rush, lemming-like, over the cliff can we have a properly evaluated trial in one primary care trust — preferably not mine — and only when all the problems are resolved consider rolling it out.

Martin Bennett
Managing Director
Associated Chemists (Wicker) Ltd,
Sheffield

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