The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 280 No 7499 p493
26 April 2008

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News summary

Most contractors using barcoded prescriptions encountering problems

Over 50 per cent of contractors who are enabled to use the electronic prescription service are scanning some or all of the barcoded prescriptions they receive, according to a survey of 365 pharmacies in England.

The survey highlighted problems with download times and variations in supplier performance.

Carried out jointly by the National Pharmacy Association and the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee during January and February 2008, the survey showed that 80 per cent of respondents were EPS release 1 enabled and of these 56 per cent were scanning prescriptions. Some 11 per cent of enabled pharmacies reported scanning every barcoded prescription.

However, the survey revealed that many pharmacies are experiencing problems with the EPS. While some pharmacies reported consistent download speeds of under five seconds, 72 per cent of respondents reported an average prescription download time of over 20 seconds.

Other common problems are:

• Barcodes too faint to scan

• Delays in logging in with smartcards

• Dosage instructions need to be edited

• Lack of training from suppliers

• Lack of support from primary care trusts, including delays in authorising the EPS ongoing allowance

Low use of the service by GPs was also mentioned, with 64 per cent of respondents reporting that less than one in five prescriptions received were generated using the EPS. This stops pharmacies building up experience with the EPS and fully testing the system’s capability, say the NPA and the PSNC.

The survey also highlighted some benefits to using the EPS. The organisations say that it is clear that some pharmacies have got the EPS system working for them and are incorporating it into their normal practice.

A quarter of those using the service reported operational benefits, with 26 per cent finding that the dispensing process is the same speed or quicker using EPS. A commonly reported benefit was the efficient processing of prescriptions for new patients.

Gareth Jones, NHS liaison manager at the NPA, said: “The results of the survey suggest that EPS can be made to work. Where problems are identified, it is essential that pharmacies take time to report these to their suppliers so that problems can be investigated and solutions found.

“If a problem is not resolved in a timely manner, the pharmacy contractor should provide full details, including the helpdesk reference, to their PCT EPS lead who can escalate this to NHS Connecting for Health.”

Lindsay McClure, head of information services at the PSNC, added: “The results showed differences between pharmacy systems in terms of download speeds and perceived levels of customer support. Almost 50 per cent of the EPS-enabled pharmacies surveyed felt that there would have been more benefits with EPS if their supplier had configured the system in a different way.

“It is essential that pharmacy contractors are providing feedback to suppliers, not only on problems, but also with preferences around system design.”

The PSNC and the NPA are working with NHS CfH to produce a problem-solving guide to help pharmacists deal with common issues that are arising with the EPS.