Our patients are now benefiting from a fast-track, electronic prescription service.
The new service results in the patient receiving their medication quicker and spending less time waiting at the pharmacy.
The Trust has long used a clinically-focused patient record keeping software called SystmOne. A comprehensive clinical IT system which provides record keeping, makes referrals, appointment bookings, clinical assessments, staff rostering and much more.
The Trust is now using SystmOne to immediately send electronic prescriptions from video consultation or community-based clinicians to the patient’s local pharmacy of choice for collection.
Previously, prescriptions would be handwritten and given to the patient or delivered to a GP or pharmacy. The process was inefficient and sometimes resulted in delays for medication.
Ben Ryan, the Trust’s SystmOne Configuration Lead, explained: “As soon as the suppliers released the new functionality we rolled out this feature for our clinical staff straight away.
“It’s used by hospital-based staff delivering telephone or video consultations to patients at home. It’s also for our community-based staff who are working remotely.
“Once the prescription is saved to the patient’s record, it is immediately sent to the pharmacy. Patients can pick up the medication from the pharmacy knowing it will be ready for them on arrival. It gives the patient quicker access to their medication, is more convenient and there is less waiting around in the pharmacy. Especially important in the current situation when we need to stay home as much as possible.
“It saves valuable time for the staff by not having to write out prescriptions by hand and deliver them to pharmacies. It also makes reviewing or cancelling prescriptions much easier and quicker.”
Lynn Morgan Senior Clinical Matron, said: “The commencement of this function is a great asset to the community matron team. It allows the Community Matron to complete the prescription in the patients SystmOne record and send direct to the required pharmacy.
“This alleviates the need for the community Matron to write a prescription and then document in SystmOne.
“There is also an advantage for the staff in the care home. They no longer need to ensure the prescription is faxed to the pharmacy for dispensing. Or for an urgent prescription to be hand delivered for the medication to be dispensed. This ensures medication for their residents is received in a timely manner and treatment can be commenced.
“It’s also safer as there is no faxing or hand delivering of prescriptions.”
