Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 1 June 2023
31. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the national ePrescribing system to reduce the administrative burden currently faced by community pharmacists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26674/23]
View answerThank you for your question Deputy. The HSE has established a national ePharmacy programme with several key initiatives being pursued in parallel. These include the replacement of legacy pharmacy systems with hospitals, the establishment of a national medicinal product catalogue (required to enable several ePharmacy initiatives) as well as an ePrescribing project that will transform the way in which medications are prescribed and dispensed within the community care setting. Further extensions of this project will also address prescribing at outpatient clinics and hospital discharge.
The ePrescribing project is now well established and is being led by pharmacists with experience in working in hospital and community pharmacy settings.
A significant exercise in stakeholder engagement took place in Q1 this year and will inform the technical and operational requirements for a system to be procured in 2023. As well as the formal governance structures being established for the delivery of this project (which includes clinical professionals responsible for prescribing and dispensing), a separate Pharmacy eHealth Group (similar to the long standing and well regarded GPIT group for GPs), has been established and will be useful also in providing the voice of the pharmacist to important eHealth developments such as ePrescribing.
The pandemic led to the introduction of Electronic Transfer of Prescriptions using a secure email system to assist in social distancing. That will be replaced by the ePrescribing solution once up and running.
Not only will ePrescribing streamline processes for prescribing and dispensing, it will also make care safer by addressing some of the deficits of information when people are admitted and discharged from hospital and. with the delivery of a patient portal/ app as part of the wider eHealth programme, provide patients with access to a digital copy of their medications - both prescribed and dispensed. This will empower patients and lead to safer, better care.
