NHS Care Services

Infrastructure

ePharmacy

It is the responsibility of the Pharmacy owner to notify the relevant NHS Board of new contractor details or a change in premises as soon as possible. This will enable the NHS Board to authorise Practitioner Services to follow the contractor change process to allow you to have the N3 connection in place. Read More ...

In 2001-20002 the Scottish Government established a pilot project within the then Ayrshire & Arran PCT to develop a system to provide the necessary functionality for the electronic transfer of prescriptions (ETP).

The Right Medicine suggested that the project's objectives should be broadened to include the development of e-applications that would support the future delivery of community pharmaceutical services and improve communications across the healthcare team.

To reflect the extended remit, the initiative as a whole was re-badged as ePharmacy. The first component of ePharmacy infrastructure was the connection of all community pharmacists to the NHSnet. A connection programme began in October 2004 and upon completion in April 2005 it allowed access to the NHS net and NHSmail, for community pharmacists.

The second component of ePharmacy infrastructure was the completion of a community pharmacy contractor hardware audit. The audit ensured that all community pharmacy contractor hardware met a minimum specification.

To help support the rollout of ePharmacy in particular training of pharmacists and their staff the Scottish Government funded the provision of Community Pharmacy IMandT facilitators. Community Pharmacy IMandT facilitators are actively engaged in supporting and training community pharmacy contractors and their staff in ePharmacy applications, NHS mail and Microsoft Office packages.

The first ePharmacy applications to support the Minor Ailment Service has been rolled out nationally. This service uses the Central Patient Registration System (CPRS) which was developed to automate the registration process of patients. The CPRS confirms registration status, provides the pharmacy with the patient's Community Health Index (CHI)number, and electronically registers the patient with that pharmacy for the service and remuneration purposes.

After registration, the pharmacy contractor's Patient Medication Record (PMR) system electronically generates and prints Minor Ailment Service prescriptions (CP2). It also transmits selected data as an e-message via NHSnet/N3 connections to the ePharmacy Message Store (EPMS). This will enable in the future a fully automated payment process with the e-messages being transferred from EPMS for automated reimbursement of product costs.

The second phase of ePharmacy applications are currently being rolled out across Scotland. This phase of ePharmacy applications will allow the introduction of Electronic Transmission of Prescription Information (ETP).

The installation of ETP functionality in General Practice and Community Pharmacy is a key building block in the rollout of the Acute Medication Service and the Chronic Medication Service.

Once installed ETP allows prescription information to be transmitted by the prescriber as an e-message via NHSnet/N3 connections to the ePharmacy Message Store (EPMS). Upon presentation to the community pharmacy of an ETP enabled prescription the community pharmacist is able to scan the barcode on the prescription and use the associated e-message to process the prescription.

ePharmacy Infrastructure Funding

Community Pharmacy contractors have been supported with funding by the Scottish Government to ensure the rollout of the ePharmacy applications. This funding is used to support the extra costs incurred by contractors to have the applications in their pharmacies.

Upon successful completion of the installation of eMAS contractors were remunerated a single payment of £500 and a recurring payment of £100 per month

Upon successful completion of the installation of eAMS contractors are being remunerated a single payment of £250 and a recurring payment of £100 per month

Circulars

PCA(P)(2008)9 Primary Care M&T Facilitator Funding Arrangements: 2008-2009 onwards.

PCA(P)(2008)4 Community Pharmacy Services: ePharmacy Programme Payments

PCA(P)(2007)36ePharmacy: Electronic Transfer of Prescriptions Publicity Materials

PCA(P)(2007)21 ePharamcy Programme: Electronic Transfer of Prescriptions (ETP) between GP Practices and Community Pharmacies

PCA(P)(2007)05 ePharmacy Programme Update: The Electronic Transfer of GP10 Prescriptions in Primary Care

PCA(P)(2006)08 New Community Pharmacy Contract: eMAS Implementation Circular

PCA(P)(2005)19 New Contract: IM & T Infrastructure Report Circular

NHS HDL (2005) 34ePharmacy Programme Update

PCA(P)(2005)10 Community Pharmacy Premises Development Programme 2005-06 Circular

PCA(P)(2005)1New NHS Community Pharmacy Contract: Infrastructure Support-IMT and Staff Training

HDL(2004)14 ePharmacy Update