ELECTRONIC prescribing in GP surgeries and pharmacies in England is to be expanded bringing estimated savings of up to £300 million for the NHS by 2021, according to the government.
Use of electronic prescribing by GP surgeries has grown from less than 1 per cent in June 2010 to 63 per cent in June 2018. More than 6,000 GPs are now able to upload prescriptions electronically, which can be downloaded by a pharmacist, saving time for staff and patients.
Thousands of paper prescriptions are still issued each year but changes to current regulations are to be made later this year to expand electronic prescribing for nearly all prescriptions.
Health and Social Care Secretary, Matt Hancock, said: "We need to harness technology across the NHS to improve care, save time for patients and make the lives of hardworking staff easier. In an NHS where thousands of GP surgeries already enjoy the benefits of electronic prescriptions, it can’t be right that there are occasions when archaic paper prescriptions still have to be used.
"As part of our long-term plan, I want the NHS to become the most advanced healthcare system in the world. Electronic prescribing both saves GPs’ time and helps to give patients a better, more seamless experience and ensures every pound of taxpayers’ money is spent effectively."
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