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Scottish MAS Information

The ePharmacy Programme plays an important part in delivering the requirements outlined in the new community pharmacy contract in Scotland.

What is the ePharmacy Programme?

The Electronic Transmission of Prescriptions (ETP) Stage One Pilot during 2001/2 and 2002/3 proved the concept of ETP, and developed a set of system requirements as the basis of future ETP developments.

The project moved forward with developing work streams that would enable ETP to deliver the full benefits of electronic transmission of prescriptions and was re-badged as the ePharmacy Programme.

What does the programme involve?
  • MAS - Minor Ailment Service
  • AMS - Acute Medication Service
  • CMS - Chronic Medication Service
What does the Minor Ailment Service (MAS) cover?

MAS enables eligible people, who are exempt from prescription charges, to register and use their community pharmacy as the first port of call for the consultation and treatment of a common condition on the NHS without the need to visit a GP. The ability to go straight to a pharmacy rather than having to make an appointment with a GP benefits both patients in terms of more immediate and convenient access to a healthcare professional and GPs who will have more time to devote to patients with more serious conditions.

How do pharmacies and patients benefit from MAS?

It also benefits the NHS by fully utilising the skills and expertise of community pharmacists as part of the solution to modernising NHS services and improving services to both patients and the public. In addition it provides a very firm foundation for community pharmacy to play its part in shifting the balance of care.

What are the initial findings of MAS?
  • Favourable opinions by service users, particularly the convenience and time saved
  • Head lice was the most frequent condition followed by pain and cough
  • The majority of the consultations were by those exempt by age, particularly the under 16’s, followed by the over 60’s; patients with income related exemptions accounted for 19% of the consultations
  • Community pharmacists managed the consultations satisfactorily and coped well with the additional workload
  • GPs were supportive
What does the Acute Medication Service (AMS) cover?

The Acute Medication Service represents the provision of pharmaceutical care services for acute episodes of care and supports the dispensing of acute prescriptions and any associated counselling and advice.

Under the current arrangements, patients are prescribed items for acute symptoms when appropriate and receive a GP10 prescription form/s which they take to a pharmacy for dispensing. Under ePharmacy AMS, there is no significant change in the GP process, but upon printing the GP10, the GP system will also send an electronic prescribing message to the central ePharmacy message store and print a unique reference number (UPN) on the prescription in the form of a bar code.

The patient then takes the prescription to the pharmacy of their choice for dispensing. The pharmacy will then use their PMR system to scan the bar code. The PMR system will pull down the electronic message and the pharmacist will be able to use the information displayed to amend the patient medication record, clinically check the prescription and label the medication.

Do Cegedim Rx products provide this functionality?

Cegedim Rx PMR solutions Pharmacy Manager V7 and Nexphase V7.6 provide full operational functionality for pharmacy and were the first PMR supplier to provide AMS to Scotland.

Cegedim Rx has worked with a number of key clients to ensure that the solution is working effectively in the pharmacy and a number of key advantages have been identified.

  • Reduced labour time to complete the prescription (less typing)
  • Prescription detail accuracy is increased (less keying errors)
  • Repeat prescription business will increase over time
What is the next step for AMS?

By mid 2008 it is expected that virtually all GP10 prescriptions issued will be bar coded so that they can be processed under eAMS. The process of dispensing prescriptions using eAMS will be very similar to the existing process for dispensing a non bar coded prescription. The efficiency benefits of eAMS will be immediately available to pharmacies with a compliant PMR system. Therefore the pharmacy should be using this functionality in earnest now to increase the repeat customer business.

What does the Chronic Medication Service (CMS) cover?

The Chronic Medication Service (CMS) will allow patients with long-term conditions to register with the community pharmacy of their choice for the provision of pharmaceutical care as part of a shared agreement between the patient, Pharmacist and GP

A patient will register for the service at a Pharmacy of their choice subject to eligibility criteria (similar to MAS but for all patient groups). The Pharmacy will then provide a package of care relative to CMS that may consist of the delivery of pharmaceutical services, which may or may not include dispensing activity.

How does the ePharmacy process work together?

The Prescribing GP practice will be able to issue a ‘Master’ prescription that will allow the Pharmacy to dispense items over a period of time. The GP system will print the GP10/s (master prescription/s) and will send an electronic prescribing message(s) to the central ePharmacy message store and also print a unique reference number (UPN) on the prescription in the form of a Bar code.

The patient then takes the prescription to the pharmacy they are registered with for dispensing. The pharmacy scans the bar code, which pulls down the associated electronic message that the pharmacist uses for dispensing purposes. The Pharmacy sends an electronic message for each dispensing episode via the ePharmacy message store to Practitioner Services for payment processing (reimbursement). The pharmacy retains the prescription until the identified CMS dispensing is completed and thereafter sends the 'master' prescription to Practitioner Services.

The patient will benefit from CMS as a result of the CMS care package at Pharmacy and potential for reduced visits to GP practice.

What are the next steps for ePharmacy in Scotland?

Cegedim Rx are currently working with the Scottish Executive to define a specification for CMS and will then be embarking on a pilot stage with key customers to finalise a solution. The Scottish Executive hopes to have a specification in place by mid 2008.