First Annual Review from the Digital Medicines Transformation Portfolio
8 January 2024
The first Annual Review has been published today (January 8, 2024) by the Digital Medicines Transformation Portfolio (DMTP) to mark the progress in one of the biggest changes to medicines prescribing, dispensing and administration in decades.
Digital ways of working will transform the experience for patients and healthcare professionals by replacing the paper-based processes currently used in hospitals, GP practices and community pharmacies with safer and more efficient paperless, digital solutions.
The creation of DMTP by Welsh Government in April 2022 followed an independent review of prescribing. An ambitious digital medicines plan for Wales was set out and, since its formation less than two years ago, DMTP has moved forward at pace with the work needed to convert the plan into action.
In November 2023, a key milestone was reached when the first electronic prescription in Wales was sent from Lakeside Medical Centre to Wellington Road Pharmacy in Rhyl. Using the Electronic Prescription Service (EPS) allows GPs to send prescriptions electronically to the patient’s choice of community pharmacy, without the need for a paper form. The service will be rolled out across Wales as quickly and safely as possible from early 2024.
DMTP has also made great progress in its work to deliver electronic Prescribing and Medicines Administration (ePMA) in every ward in every hospital in Wales; the development of a Shared Medicines Record; and medicines functionality in the NHS Wales App.
The aim is to ensure new digital ways of working deliver the best possible outcomes for patients and the public across Wales.
DMTP Senior Responsible Owner Professor Hamish Laing said: “Medicines are a vitally important part of healthcare, at some point touching the lives of nearly every person living and working in Wales. Yet the way we manage medicines, largely using paper processes, has not changed significantly since the birth of the NHS in 1948.
“I am confident that the work we are undertaking will have significant impact. I am immensely proud of our progress and, as you read this review, you can find out more about the transformation we are delivering.”
To ensure people remain at the heart of its focus, DMTP has worked closely with partners including Digital Health and Care Wales, Community Pharmacy Wales, General Practice Committee Wales, the Centre for Digital Public Services (CDPS), the Patients and Public Assurance Group, Digital Communities Wales and the Digital Inclusion Alliance for Wales. We are also collaborating closely with all the health boards and trusts across Wales and have visited hospitals, GP practices and pharmacies to hear from staff and gain knowledge and insight into their needs.
The move towards paperless working will also benefit the environment. It will dramatically reduce the 40 million paper prescriptions currently printed in primary care each year and save hundreds of thousands of hospital medication charts used and filed away.
You can read the Annual Review on the DMTP web pages. You can also find out more by watching our short video:
Further Information
Please contact DMTP.Comms@wales.nhs.uk
Or: Alison Watkins, Head of Communications and Engagement, Digital Medicines Transformation Portfolio at alison.watkins3@wales.nhs.uk Tel: 07854 386054