1. Norfolk LPC Pharmacy Evening Dawn Friend, EPS Implementation
Electronic Prescription Service release 2
Norfolk LPC Pharmacy Evening
20th September 2016
Dawn Friend, EPS Implementation
Dawn Friend EPS Implementation Team

2. Electronic Prescription Service – release 2
EPS enables prescriptions to be sent electronically from the GP to the dispenser of the patient’s choice.
@EPSnhs

3. EPS Functionality Nomination Electronic signature Electronic
submission of
reimbursement , exemptions & endorsements
Electronic repeat
dispensing
Electronic
cancellation

4. Deployment Progress - nationally
83.5% of GPs
6,405 practices
99% of pharmacies
93% of
DACs
Over 20 million patients have a nomination
Over 331 million release 2 prescriptions sent
Over 745 million items dispensed & claimed
(9th Sep 2016)

5. EPS Utilisation Nationally: Over 46% of all prescriptions are now EPS2
Average utilisation in live practices was 56%
(estimates for Aug 2016 EPS data)

6. NHS England - Midlands & East (East)
Nominations set: 1,456,147 (32.8%)
CCGs in your area with live and planned practices
EPS Live CCGs in Norfolk/Suffolk/Cambs
Total pracs
Live pracs
Planned pracs
% Live GP pracs
Ave % EPS utilisation
(live sites)
Great Yarmouth & Waveney CCG 25
100%
67%
Norwich CCG 23 22 1
96%
70%
South Norfolk CCG 24 10 8
42%
43%
West Norfolk CCG 21 6
48%
31%
Cambridgeshire & Peterborough CCG
105 67
64%
53%
Ipswich & East Suffolk CCG 40 12
30%
46%
West Suffolk CCG 3 14
13%
59%

7. Nominations
When discussing nomination ensure the patient understands that all future scripts will come to you unless they request otherwise
Inappropriate nominations cause confusion and frustration
Nominations should be entered into your system promptly
Direction of prescriptions is not allowed
Inducement is not allowed
Nominations do not expire; they can be changed or removed, but only at the request of the patient
Nomination is suitable for most patients, especially those on regular repeats and using a regular pharmacy
Patient consent doesn’t have to be in writing but you do need to have an auditable process in place

8. EPS stats and progress

9. Nomination data – published online

10. Nomination data – weekly change

11. Controlled Drugs (CDs)
New legislation was passed to make it legal for Schedule 2 and 3 Controlled Drugs to be prescribed and dispensed via EPS Release 2 on 1 July 2015.
Initially system suppliers were required to update their systems to include both words and figures in the EPS messaging for CDs to make it a reality.
We are now getting closer. We will soon be testing a way of sending CDs through EPS. If tests prove successful, once prescribing systems have been updated, it will be possible to send CDs by EPS

12. The future of EPS?

13. Next steps – ‘Phase 4’
EPS will become the default method for prescribing, dispensing and processing claims for Primary Care prescriptions in England.
Paper prescriptions will continue to be available, for some circumstances, but the vast majority of prescriptions will be sent and processed electronically.

14. How ‘Phase 4’ will work
There will be 2 main options for patients when Phase 4 becomes live:
Patients continue to have their prescriptions sent to their nominated dispenser (as with EPS2).
Where no nomination is in place (or the patient wishes not to use their nominated dispenser) the patient will be given a token to take to the dispenser they choose to visit.
Many pre-requisites to work through (planning, training, consent model, legislation, testing, communications etc.) but the plan is for Phase 4 pilots to begin in 2016/17

15. What to do now
Visit the EPS website for information, advice & guidance
Continue talking to your regular patients and setting nominations
Maintain communication with practices, attend business change meetings
Make sure you know how to use EPS in your pharmacy system
Smartcards, printers, EPS tracker…

16. EPS Prescription Tracker