GPs in Bath are making the switch to the NHS Electronic Prescription Service, making it easier and quicker for local patients to get their medication when they need it.
Twenty GP practices in Bath and East Somerset have gone live with the timesaving electronic service and can now digitally send prescriptions direct to pharmacies, without the need for the traditional paper slip.
It is designed to speed up the process and gives patients access to new services.
One of the new options is the NHS Repeat Prescription Service from Pharmacy2U, which allows people to order by phone, online or using a mobile app and then have their medication delivered for free to their home or workplace.
Pharmacist, Dr Julian Harrison, Director at Pharmacy2U, said: “The move to e-prescriptions makes the process quicker and easier and is giving patients a lot more choice – such as a pharmacy closer to where they work or an online and mail-order service like ours.
“Our NHS repeat prescription service can be a useful option for those who don’t find a traditional high street pharmacy a convenient choice.
“It’s popular with people who work long hours, the elderly and housebound and busy commuters who want to save time.”
The NHS Electronic Prescription Service will eventually be rolled out throughout England.
Despite this, research conducted by YouGov on behalf of Pharmacy2U revealed that nearly three quarters of people in the South West (73 per cent) were not aware that paper prescriptions are being replaced.
To use electronic prescriptions, patients can speak to their chosen pharmacy to set their ‘nomination’, which is where their prescription will be digitally sent.
Find out which Bath GPs are live with electronic prescriptions, here: http://www.escriptfinder.co.uk/
