The Electronic Prescription Service in Wales has been given the green light for roll out across the country’s entire pharmacy network following “successful testing” according to a digital health company working with the Welsh Government.

Invatech Health, the company behind Titan PMR and one of the partners selected to help Digital Health and Care Wales (DHCW) develop EPS in Wales, said patients will now be able to collect their prescriptions from their pharmacy “without the need for a paper form” and pick up repeats without having to see their local GP surgery.

“Pharmacists, meanwhile, will benefit from a simplified reimbursement process as well as more efficient prescribing, improved stock control, less paper use and reduced risk of errors,” said Invatech.

Having been “officially certified” by DHCW in early April, Titan PMR is “the first and only service of its kind to be approved for EPS use in Wales” and is currently ‘used by a large number of community pharmacies” in the country, the company added.

Boots has also been selected as a system supplier, and in January said it was “moving into the testing phase” with its EPS system.

Invatech CEO Tariq Muhammad said: “We’re delighted to be the first PMR system approved for EPS use in Wales. It’s going to bring great benefits to existing Titan customers and their patients and we’re looking forward to enabling other pharmacies to take on the benefits. 

“The roll out of EPS capability across the GP surgery network over coming months will give great competitive opportunities to community pharmacies across the country.

“We know there is commitment from NHS Wales and the national Government to get this moving and bring the benefits of EPS to patients and health services across the country.”

Geoff Thomas, superintendent at Malpas Pharmacy, described the roll out as “the start of a new era”. 

Mr Thomas said: “We will shortly be offering patients the opportunity to nominate either Malpas or Malpas Brook as their chosen pharmacy to receive electronic transfer of their prescriptions.

“Once the GP surgeries have deployed the system too, we’ll all be ready to realise the benefits.”