Neighborhood Pharmacy System Innovation Fund opens in Wales as we speak 

The Digital Medicines Transformation Portfolio and Life Sciences Hub Wales have launched a brand new fund as we speak to assist the suppliers of digital group pharmacy techniques in Wales ship an digital prescription service (EPS). 

The introduction of an EPS in main care in Wales will make the prescribing and meting out course of safer, simpler and extra environment friendly for sufferers and well being care professionals.

The work is a key a part of the Digital Medicines Transformation Portfolio, which is hosted by Digital Well being and Care Wales. It is going to allow prescribers, akin to GPs, to ship prescriptions electronically to a dispenser, akin to a group pharmacy of the affected person’s selection.  

To speed up the supply of this thrilling service enchancment, a Neighborhood Pharmacy System Innovation Fund has been established to offer grants. These will assist suppliers of group pharmacy techniques to develop their techniques to make use of EPS and obtain the digital switch of prescriptions.

The Neighborhood Pharmacy System Innovation Fund additionally lets candidates submit bids for monetary assist to ship improvements that can end in paperless meting out and integration with the brand new NHS Wales app. 

The fund is open from 3 April 2023 till October 2024, and group pharmacy system suppliers are invited to bid throughout the next three tiers: 

• To develop and implement the modifications essential to group pharmacy techniques to allow EPS in a Wales-based pharmacy by way of an assured affected person medicine report (PMR). This tier have to be accomplished efficiently earlier than suppliers can apply for tiers two and three funding. 
• To have the ability to ship push notifications to the NHS Wales App to advise that an individual’s medicines have been ready and are prepared for assortment, together with the situation of the pharmacy and its opening hours. It will empower sufferers to change into extra conscious and accountable for their drugs. 
• To assist make group pharmacy meting out paperless, though sufferers will nonetheless have the proper to request a paper prescription if they need. 

The fund is open to purposes from UK-registered companies that presently provide, or have the potential to provide, pharmacies in Wales with digital companies and simply over £110,000 is on the market, per provider, to bid for in whole, throughout all three tiers.

Solely actions related to the goals defined in every tier are throughout the scope of the fund. Every tier is for a predefined most sum out there, for as much as 100% of evidenced income prices for work associated to the necessities of that tier.   

Intention to enhance service supply

The fund can be delivered by Life Sciences Hub Wales and the Digital Medicines Transformation Portfolio on behalf of the Welsh Authorities. 

Digital medicines transformation portfolio senior accountable proprietor Hamish Laing mentioned: “We’re excited to be launching this fund, which supplies a vital alternative to assist not simply the technical modifications wanted to implement EPS in Wales, but in addition enhancements that can assist modernise pharmacy observe and supply a significantly better service and expertise for sufferers.” 

Life Sciences Hub Wales’ chief govt Cari-Anne Quinn mentioned, “Digitisation of the Welsh prescription service will ship a safer and extra environment friendly system benefiting sufferers while liberating up very important time and useful resource for healthcare professionals.

“We’re proud to be supporting this transformation by managing the fund and award course of and look ahead to seeing improved service supply throughout the nation.” 

EPS is anticipated to switch the printing of greater than 40 million paper prescription types in Wales yearly.

The innovation fund is supplied by the Welsh Authorities’s Digital Priorities Funding Fund and is a vital step ahead to assist group pharmacies in Wales enhance their use of digital expertise. 

Chief pharmaceutical officer for Wales, Andrew Evans, mentioned: “The fund is main step ahead for group pharmacies in Wales and can assist them realise the numerous alternatives introduced by digital methods of working.” 

Neighborhood pharmacy system suppliers can discover out extra in regards to the fund, eligibility standards and find out how to apply by visiting Life Sciences Hub Wales’ website or contacting [email protected].

Digitisation in healthcare in Wales is on the forefront of the agenda, with Digital Well being and Care Wales enjoying a key position. Lately, it launched a brand new digital techniques usability survey, which can assess the effectiveness of the scientific digital techniques which are in use throughout NHS Wales.