System implementation
ePrescribing can support the entire medicines use process, enabling medications to be managed electronically from prescribing through to supply and administration. The resources here, although no longer maintained, may be useful to trusts planning ePrescribing implementations.
The implementation of ePrescribing is both a technical and cultural challenge. This section contains information about how to make the process as effective as possible, and avoid known pitfalls.
National ePrescribing Forum - March 2010
NHS Connecting for Health hosted a National ePrescribing Forum on Tuesday 23rd February 2010 to encourage the sharing of information and lessons learned from those trusts which have either implemented ePrescribing or are in the process of doing so, or are investigating the potential offered by such systems.
Most of the presentations from the day are included below:
- Introduction to the day (PDF, 320Kb) - David Rosser
- Why ePrescribing should be supporting patient care (PDF, 245Kb) - Tony Avery
- 15 years of experience of ePrescribing (PDF, 419Kb) - Pete Marsh
- Decision support and corollary order benefits (PDF 1.18Mb) - Simon Ball
- Paediatrics, benefits to day to day practice (PDF, 171Kb) - Christine Booth
- Building the case for ePrescribing (PDF, 365Kb) - Marianne Taylor
- Clinical engagement (PDF, 276Kb) - Mike Richards
- Practical impact on nursing practice (PDF, 871Kb) - Helen Gyves
- Why and how nurses should get involved (PDF, 6.62Mb) - Petula Paul
- Key non-clinical considerations and challenges (PDF, 264Kb) - University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
- Key expectations from a supplier perspective (PDF, 200Kb) - Robert Tysall-Blay
- Making it happen (PDF, 4.29Mb) - Neil Watson
- What does success look like (PDF, 2.49Mb) - University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
- Impact on Pharmacy (PDF, 680Kb) - Dave Miller
- Patient safety benefits (PDF, 678Kb) - Andrew Barker
- Ongoing support requirements (PDF, 144Kb) - Niall Poole
dm+d implementation guidance - updated October 2009
The dm+d implementation guide explains how the NHS dictionary of medicines and devices (dm+d) might be implemented in hospital-based ePrescribing systems and contains information about dm+d itself, the data files in which it (and supporting information) is published and a prescribing model which may be used to enable dose-based prescribing.
In order to implement the approach detailed within the guide, readers will also need to refer to a number of files available from the 'Technology Reference-data Update Distribution Service (TRUD)'.
ePrescribing in hospitals: challenges and lessons learned - June 2009
A range of information resources were commissioned about challenges experienced, and lessons learned, in trusts which have implemented ePrescribing. Developed by an independent team of researchers, these have been made available to help NHS staff who may be involved in the planning, implementation, development and use of ePrescribing.