What assessment has the Minister made of the success of e-prescription trials across Wales?
I issued a Written Statement on 5 January providing a progress update on the Digital Medicines Transformation Portfolio, the programme delivering e-prescriptions.
The first trial is being delivered in secondary care in Swansea Bay University Health Board – it is implementing e-prescribing as a pilot through its Hospital ePrescribing and Medicines Administration (HEPMA) programme. Best practice will be shared with other health boards.
Initial assessment of the programme has shown a number of benefits and safety enhancements, for example a reduction in the amount of time spent by nurses in administering drugs on each drug round releasing time to further care; increasing the visibility of allergy information and avoiding prescribing medicines which could trigger an allergic reaction and a reduction in the costs of prescribed medicines.