GP practices helped to identify patients eligible for eRD
GP practices helped to identify patients eligible for eRD
March 30, 2020
To help support the response to COVID-19, the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) is introducing a system to automatically identify patients that may be eligible for electronic Repeat Dispensing (eRD).
Increasing eRD has many benefits, such as reducing footfall in GP practices and pharmacies, reducing workload and allowing for better management of the supply chain. Many of these are particularly desirable during the current situation, as has been recognised by the NHS in its primary care response to the pandemic (see Dr Nikki Kanani’s 5th March letter to general practices).
Wessex Academic Health Science Network (AHSN) has worked with the NHSBSA to develop a process that would provide GP practices with the NHS number for certain patients that have had the same medicines dispensed to them for the previous 12 months.
Practices moving to eRD must discuss their plans with local community pharmacies and, similarly, CCGs embarking on moving patients to eRD must discuss plans with their LPC prior to switching.
Where GP practices have an active nhs.net email address, they will be sent a file containing details of patients within specified criteria. A clinician should review the practice’s records of those patients to ensure that they are indeed appropriate for eRD before moving them onto the system.
Resources on eRD
There are a range of resources already available to support implementation, as outlined below.
Technical resources
Patient communications
Additional support and guidance is available on request from NHSBSA to GP practices with low EPS utilisation or no experience of eRD.
Read more at: eRD
Posted in: Contract & IT, COVID-19 Updates, Dispensing & Supply, Services & Commissioning
