Two of the leading Wales’ public sector digital bodies have begun to collaborate in research on the use of electronic prescription services in the country.
The Centre for Digital Public Services (CDPS) and Digital Health and Care Wales (DHCW) have entered a partnership to work on the latter’s Digital Medicines Transformation Portfolio (DMTP).
They are aiming to understand the user journey in using the relevant services and provide digital solutions for the prescribing, dispensing and administering medicines safely and effectively.
The research will focus on e-prescriptions in a primary care setting and with medicines administration in secondary care.
Until the end of the year the organisations will observe patients and healthcare professionals as they use relevant services, aiming to identify opportunities for improvements.
Review and ambition
The DMTP – which brings together programmes and projects on e-prescribing – has been put together in response to a review on the issue published in September of last year, following which the Welsh government set out an ambition for a comprehensive digital medicines plan.
Helen Thomas, chief executive officer at DHCW, said: “I see great and real benefits to this partnership. It will allow us to understand the impact of removing paper from the system and to select and deliver the technology that meets the needs of NHS Wales.
“We know that not everyone wants to use online services. It’s therefore vitally important that a significant new development that will impact everyone who uses NHS Wales services is digitally inclusive.”
