EPS have been available since 2005. This is a free service and is just another way of prescriptions being sent to pharmacy.
What is Electronic Prescription service? If you have regular prescriptions the Electronic Prescription Service (EPS) may be able to save you time by avoiding unnecessary trips to your GP.
The Electronic Prescription Service (EPS) allows your prescription to be sent electronically from your GP surgery to a nominated pharmacy of your choice.
Electronic Repeat Dispensing (eRD)
Electronic repeat dispensing (eRD) is a process that allows patients to obtain repeated supplies of their medication without the need for the prescriber to hand sign authorised repeat prescriptions each time. This allows the GP to authorise and issue a batch of repeat prescriptions until the patients’ medication needs to be reviewed. The prescriptions are then available at specified intervals and your nominated pharmacy can download and dispense.
The first issue of an electronic repeat dispensing prescription is downloaded from the NHS spine in the same way as other EPS prescriptions. Community Pharmacy will ask you a set of 4 questions at the point of collecting your prescription.
This process is repeated 6 times or until all prescriptions have been dispensed; At this point an appointment will be required for routine medication review, bloods or blood pressure reading at your GP surgery.