Electronic prescription service (EPS) - good or bad for you?
Posted , 20 users are following.
Our village pharmacy which is just 200 yards from the GP surgery, has invited me to sign up for the new NHS paperless electronic prescription service.
As far as I can tell this might make life easier for the GP and pharmacist, but I don't see any significant benefit for patients like me.
Whenever the ambulance people attend or I go to a hospital appointment, they always ask to see a list of current medication. Without paper prescriptions, would we be required to keep our own up-to-date list? Seems like more bother than it is worth for us patients.
Anyone else going to sign up for this service?
5 likes, 35 replies
Flowerlady paul175
Posted
SteV3 paul175
Posted
I signed up for this service, but my surgery offers prescriptions and booking doctors appointments, to me having the option to order prescriptions online makes it easier for me, than phoning the surgery or booking an appointment just to see a doctor.
What I do not understand Paul is do they not give you option to order the Repeat Prescription slip with your medication? I use this when needed by paramedics or the dentist, it shows them all my medications I am currently on. My medications are all online, if I need them - so I could print them out.
Regards,
Les.
Regards,
Les.
kristopher1982 paul175
Posted
I currently order my script online and collect it from the surgery then pop into the chemists and that's fine for me it doesn't take loads of time and I still have to go to the chemist to collect it so going to Drs first is not a problem. Sometimes the chemist don't have certain meds so I go to another chemists as the meds I'm on I cannot just stop taking them if I have run out which I do sometimes.
I asked the pharmacy if I joined this service and they get my script and they don't have what I need what would happen and he replied you would just have to wait till it comes in!. Also if I've ordered my script online and I'm going away (within the uk, I am often) and I don't get to my chemist before I go away I don't have the option to pop into a different chemist while I'm away!.
Sod that to be honest I'd rather have a paper script and be able to go to another chemist if and when I need to.
Also my mum uses the electronic service and when she goes to collect it from them its never ready at the time they say it will be!.
No thanks lol
frustrated61 kristopher1982
Posted
You are correct as the pharmacist will tell you that you will have to wait but here, they do give us an option...whether to keep it there or they can transfer it for you...do you have the same options? Perhaps you do but they drugist hadn't told you this so they wouldn't lose business however, I believe mine knows out of respect I'd continue with them because of their honesty. Hope this helps with your situation.
Frustrated
frustrated61
Posted
frustrated61 kristopher1982
Posted
If your pharmacist won't allow it to be transferred, you could always call a different drug store and ask if they have the medication and then call back your GP and ask them to resend it to the available druggist. It is a bit more time consuming but then again, it will give the first pharmacist a message, be honest or you'll lose business anyways!!
Frustrated
kristopher1982 frustrated61
Posted
SteV3 kristopher1982
Posted
Years ago people stated ‘email’ would never replace ‘snail mail’, yet these days it is far quicker to send an email or an ECF (Electronic Contact Form) than a letter. You save on time and money, back in the early 80’s the thought of sending a message to Australia from the UK would have taken a week, now it is just seconds. Times change and technology advances, who would have thought by 2013 you could actually print a cup from a 3D printer, and then drink from it.
Transferring of records to data is already done, your GP never sees original letters from a hospital, and they are scanned via staff that work with your GP – so basically that part is nearly all complete before you would be changed over to the new system. I am assuming by the re-requests you are referring to repeat prescriptions? – Mine are setup by my GP, and automatically sent to my pharmacy for me to pick up (2 of which I do have to phone the pharmacy first, because they do not stock certain Classes of drugs, which require my signature twice). As for Chemists and picking them up, medications can be transferred on the same day, so if you miss one chemist you can always use another.
The trouble these days is technology is advancing faster than people know, and that statement covers many household products and services. What would our children of today done back in the 70’s – there was no computers, mobile phones and less crime. When I left school in the early 80’s I was an apprentice with a take home pay of just £37.50 a week!! How would our cope in today’s society back then? Lol… We social lives in real life, not a virtual world.
Regards,
Les.
frustrated61 kristopher1982
Posted
I wish you good luck and hope things go they way you want them to!!
Warm regards
Frustrated
SteV3 paul175
Posted
There is a good reason for this service, especially for people like myself.
The NHS is Trialing the Personal Care Service at numerous places in the UK. Let's say in my case I go in to an Epileptic Seizure, my wife would normally call for an Ambulance, however these days its Paramedics first. If your condition becomes worse then an Ambulance is dispatched. During all this time the paramedic would be asking you the same questions everytime a seizure comes.
Now, let's look at the same procedure but using the Personal Care Service - Firstly, if you have Epilepsy seizures then you will have been given medication in case of a seizure, to be administered by the person named as the carer. You would have been given a time of around 5-10 minutes in which this medication should have 'kicked' in, if not then dial for an ambulance, a paramedic would be sent out first as usual, but under the new system they have full access to your GP, Consultants and any other relevant records and which medications you are currently on, thus saving on a 'mountain' of paperwork. The paramedic will have access to everything on you, therefore making the whole process quicker.
I use the EPS (Electronic Prescription Service) as well, I am on 13 types of medication 2 of which are Class 'A' drugs and require me to sign additional box on the prescription. The only part I do not use is the medication delivery, I have been offered on numerous ocassions but turned it down. I can order prescriptions and book appointments online which is a godsend, when you have 'limited' mobility.
I know the services would not suit everyone but having them available makes life a lot easier for the patient and everyone that is required for emergencies or just a prescription.
Regards,
Les.
frustrated61 SteV3
Posted
jacks23 paul175
Posted
georgeGG paul175
Posted
With my GP we can sign in and reorder from a tick list. We can also add text to request items not in the list or request that we pick up the prescription at the surgery reception - very useful if we need an item urgently. Otherwise the PAPER precription and reorder list go to the pharmacy. 4.5 working days later we can pick up our pills from the pharmacy together with the reorder list. This works well even if a little slow.
hannah3012 paul175
Posted
As you are aware the NHS and the way it works is changing all the time, EPS is just another change that has been made. You make a comment about not being able to have the list of medication on the B-Side (white tear off sheet with a list of medication on), you are right here however, are you aware that by law now you can access what is called your Summary Care Record, and so can the hospital's if you have given consent fo your SCR to be shared with other health care professionals. Your summary care record shaould now be available to all patient's this should enclude a list of medication, allergies and past/future appointments. If you are not aware of this then you will need to speak with your GP surgery.
matt02626 hannah3012
Posted
So are you saying that if you go into hospital you will now have to give consent to their seeing your Summary Care Record? Unless you've got your own list of medication?
Incidentally I do think the SCR is a good system under many circumstances but there used to be such a thing as doctor / patient confidentiality which nowadays has disappeared. How many hundreds of goverment organisations are already viewing such personal information I wonder?
julie01285 matt02626
Posted
I agree.... are we all guinea pigs with Watchful Waiting as a policy for delaying appts & medication [ contingency is not built in ] ? Trouble is if you sometimes need URGENT change of meds or adapt to suit your condition eg: antibiotics, there can be long delays due to policy & procedures .They are all copying the policy of giving it to those that do the dosset boxes who are often temporary,part time ,so delaying what could be fatal .Do they want to know ?Like the call centres & customer no service they start to bllame & ostracise .
If one was comotose what could be shown is wrong downright dangerous often as well as GP records [ inserts] .If it is ignored ie adapting or editing or communication with GPs, or Cauldicott guardians, how can NHS improve and we stay alive longer?
My latest Drs[ yes having to change frequently because of unethical practice] have filed letters about this issue re : access to , under a different name so not responsible like those as named overall in charge you never see?? .They know the problems but are not standing up to be counted without their hippocratic oaths.Oh dear ?!