The practice uses the Electronic Prescription Service (EPS). This is an NHS service that allows your prescriptions to be sent to a pharmacy or dispenser of your choice. They will be signed, sent and processed digitally, without having to be handled by you.
What does EPS mean for you?
- If you use a pharmacy to collect your medication you can order online or via your pharmacy and you will not have to visit the Health Centre to collect your prescription; it will be sent electronically to the place you choose, saving you time.
- If you have stable chronic health condition you can set up a regular prescription order, so that the only time you need to visit the Health Centre is when you need to see a GP or nurse.
- You can choose to collect your medicines from any pharmacy or dispensing service in England. If you are on regular medication, it will always be quicker for you to nominate a pharmacy so that your prescriptions can be sent there to be dispensed before you collect your medication, but you can nominate a pharmacy local to where you work or shop, or choose to use an online pharmacy.
- Your GP will use EPS every time you require a prescription, no matter how often this is. Your prescription will be sent to the secure NHS database, where it will remain until you ask a pharmacy to dispense it.
- The software required to download prescription information from the NHS database is only available to pharmacies at present. If you are a dispensing patient will continue to benefit from a one-stop dispensing service that enables you to order and collect your medication without having to handle your prescription.
How do you use EPS?
- When a prescription is generated by a doctor using EPS it is given a unique code which is sent electronically to the NHS database, known as the NHS 'spine'. EPS allows you to obtain your prescriptions from any pharmacy in England. You can choose to have your prescriptions sent automatically to a preferred pharmacy each time – this is known as your "nominated" pharmacy.
- If you have nominated a pharmacy the prescription code will automatically be sent there to enable the pharmacy to start the dispensing process and provide your medication as quickly and efficiently as possible, without the need for paper prescriptions or tokens.
- If you have not yet nominated a pharmacy you can still use EPS. Your prescription will be sent electronically to the NHS 'spine' where it will remain until you ask any pharmacy in England, including an online pharmacy, to retrieve the information in order to dispense your medication.
- To use a pharmacy that you have not nominated you will need to provide them with details to confirm your identity so they can securely retrieve your prescription details from the NHS spine. This will be your name, date of birth and NHS number. You can find your NHS number on your medical card, your prescription reorder form, and it is available on the NHS App which you can also use to order your prescription online and find health information.
- Once your prescription code has been sent to your nominated pharmacy, or if have asked a pharmacy to download your prescription code from the NHS spine by a pharmacy you cannot go to any other pharmacy for the same prescription until it has been 'released' back to the spine by the pharmacy.
- You no longer need a paper prescription or token to obtain your medication from a pharmacy, and for this reason, and to help save resources for the planet, the practice no longer issues paper tokens other than in exceptional circumstances.
- You can only use EPS to obtain your medication from any pharmacy in England. If you want to use a pharmacy in Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland you will still require a paper prescription. Paper prescriptions will therefore only be issued very special circumstances, and not on demand.
- I the unlikely event that a pharmacy is unable to locate your prescripton on the NHS spine using your name, DOB and NHS number a unique code can be provided which the pharmacy may use. In exceptional circumstances it may be necessary to issued a paper 'token' which includes all the information on your electronic prescription including your unique code for use by the pharmacy.
- The software for EPS is currently not available for use with practice dispensaries. We will therefore continue to issue paper prescriptions for patients using the Dispensary until this situation is updated, but for all other patients paper prescriptions will only be issued in special circumstances
- Click NHS App to read more and download the App.
How do I add or change my nomination?
- You may have already nominated your usual pharmacy, possibly without realising it, and this will be recorded in your GP medical records
- You can ask any pharmacy or dispensing appliance contractor that offers EPS, or staff at the Health Centre, to add your nomination for you. You may have already nominated your usual pharmacy, possibly without realising it, and this will be recorded in your GP medical records.
- If you want to change or cancel your nomination speak to any pharmacist or our practice staff. Tell them before your next prescription is due or your prescription may be sent to the wrong place.
- Once your prescription has been sent to the NHS spine you can ask any pharmacy to retrieve the information in order to dispense your medication. If you this isn't your nominated pharmacy you will need to provide the pharmacy with details to confirm your identity - this will be your name, date of birth and NHS number. You no longer need a paper prescription or token to obtain your medication from a pharmacy, and for this reason, and to help save resources for the planet, the practice will no longer be issuing paper tokens.You can find your NHS number on your medical card, your prescription reorder form, and it is available on the NHS App which you can also use to order your prescription online and find health information. Click NHS App to read more and download the App
- We will continue to issue paper prescriptions for patients using the Dispensary until software is available, but otherwise paper prescriptions will only be issued in special circumstances
Is EPS reliable, secure and confidential?
- Yes. Your electronic prescription will be seen by the same people in GP practices, pharmacies and NHS prescription payment and fraud agencies that see your paper prescription now.
- Sometimes dispensers may see that you have nominated another dispenser. For example, if you forget who you have nominated and ask them to check or, if you have nominated more than one dispenser.
Dispensing patients
- All patients living in Goostrey, and anyone who lives elsewhere but more than one mile from a pharmacy is permitted under NHS rules to obtain their medication from the Dispensary within the Health Centre.
- As a dispensing patient you are not required to nominate a pharmacy, as your prescription will automatically be sent to the dispensary. In fact, EPS will not make any difference to your current prescription service as this is already effectively ‘paperless.’ Although paper prescriptions will continue to be generated and processed within the dispensary, all medication will be dispensed without the need for you to handle your prescription.
Prescription team
Prescriptions for all patients will continue to be generated by our prescription team within the Dispensary. Prior to EPS being available it has been necessary to collect a paper prescription from the Dispensary, resulting at times in a long wait and frustration. Now that all prescriptions are sent electronically to your chosen pharmacy or dispenser the footfall within the Dispensary should be greatly reduced. In this way, EPS will enable us to improve the service we are provide to all patients using the Dispensary.
Ordering your prescription
EPS will ensure your prescriptions are sent electronically to the pharmacy or dispenser of your choice, but there is no change to how you order your prescriptions:
Your electronic prescription is available for a pharmacy to download from the NHS database as soon as it has been generated. However, please check with your nominated pharmacy how long they require before collection. If you are a dispensing patient, please try to allow us one week to dispense your medication, and extra days if affected by Bank Holidays.
EPS is reliable, secure, and confidential. Your electronic prescription will be seen by the same people in GP practices, pharmacies and NHS prescription payment and fraud agencies that see your paper prescription now.
For more information talk to your community pharmacist, staff at the Health Centre, or you can read more about EPS on the NHS website and watch a video about EPS using this link to YouTube.