More than 100 GP practices in Wales using Electronic Prescription Service
06 November 2025
More than 100 GP practices in Wales are now able to use a digital service that makes the prescribing process easier and safer for patients and healthcare staff.
A total of 122 practices – a third of those in Wales – are able to send prescriptions electronically to the community pharmacy or dispenser of a patient’s choice, without the need for a paper form. In addition, 525 pharmacies – more than three quarters – are able to receive prescriptions digitally.
The Electronic Prescription Service (EPS) is being rolled out across Wales as part of a digital transformation in medicines management. Speaking at the Pharmacy: Delivering a Healthier Wales conference in Cardiff recently, Health Secretary Jeremy Miles said that the programme’s success represented ‘a major step forward in healthcare digitalisation’.
Roath House Surgery in Cardiff went live with EPS in June, with staff seeing benefits such as greater efficiency and a reduction in the amount of paper printed. The practice is based in Penylan, with a branch surgery in Park Place.
Practice pharmacist Gethin Morgan said: “There is definitely far less paperwork with EPS. A big benefit is that prescriptions are easier to track and, if we need to amend anything or if a patient lives further away, we can just talk to them on the phone and resolve issues without them needing to come to the surgery.
“For us, requesting nominations via EPS is also a benefit. We have a lot of historic nominations, with our student population moving between home and university, and EPS makes this easier to manage.”
Office manager Michelle Brewerton said: “We have been educating patients that it’s a safer way of managing prescriptions and that the tracker means there is less likelihood of prescriptions going missing. We’re also encouraging as many patients as possible to download the NHS Wales App, so they can order repeat prescriptions without needing to come into the surgery. They can also see their appointments in the App and cancel if they need to.”
Jenny Pugh-Jones, EPS lead for Digital Health and Care Wales (DHCW), said: “I’m delighted to reach yet another very significant milestone in the roll out of EPS across Wales. With a third of GP practices and more than 75% of community pharmacies now able to provide EPS in Wales, this progress is making a real difference to prescribers and bringing benefits to patients.
“This achievement is testament to the hard work of surgery staff, community pharmacies and the DHCW team, and I look forward to the service being implemented at more GP practices and pharmacies in the coming months."
EPS is a key part of the Digital Medicines national transformation programme, managed by Digital Health and Care Wales (DHCW). The service is available in communities in every health board and is being rolled out across Wales as quickly and safely as possible.
EPS is free and patient data is secure. Patients who want to sign up do not need to go online or use a laptop or smartphone. They simply tell staff at their GP practice or chosen pharmacy or dispenser that they would like to use the service, and staff do the rest.
To find out more visit https://dhcw.nhs.wales/eps.
Photo, l-r: Roath House Surgery pharmacist Safia Hussein, practice manager Danielle Plowright, office manager Michelle Brewerton, prescription clerk Helen Render and pharmacist Gethin Morgan.