Jersey Government Health and Community Services (HCS) has implemented a new electronic prescribing system at the Jersey General Hospital pharmacy, which aims to reduce waiting times and improve patient safety.
Most prescriptions will now be submitted electronically to the hospital pharmacy via the Electronic Prescribing and Medication Administration (EPMA) system, with the majority of patients no longer receiving paper prescriptions.
The Jersey Government stated in A declarationpublished on May 3, 2024, that the change is part of its “continued commitment to streamline processes and improve medication safety and operational efficiencies.”
He added that switching to electronic prescriptions provides multiple benefits to patients, such as reducing queues by eliminating the need for patients to manually drop off their prescriptions and allowing the pharmacy to more easily identify prescriptions urgent and start treating them before patients arrive to collect them. them.
It also states that electronic prescriptions will improve medication safety, as electronic prescribing reduces the risk of prescribing errors and alerts clinicians to the risks of drug interactions and other potential drug-related problems through assistance to the clinical decision.
Kevin Smith, head of pharmaceutical services at Jersey General Hospital, said: “The pharmacy dispenses around 800 products per day, and up to 250 people visit the outpatient pharmacy each working day.
“For our small, dedicated pharmacy team, electronic prescribing makes it easier and safer to select, process and supply medications. And because pharmacy staff aren't trying to decipher handwritten prescriptions, the risk of medication errors is reduced.
Professor Enda McVeigh, Consultant Gynecologist, said: “This transition to electronic prescribing and medication administration is a significant milestone in our digital health transformation programme, which aims to provide islanders with a seamless healthcare experience safer and more efficient. »
There are some exemptions where paper prescriptions will continue to be issued, with HCS confirming that relevant departments are aware of the applicable exemptions.
As part of its digital transformation, Jersey General Hospital implemented the System C critical care solutionCareFlow in its neonatal intensive care unit (ICU) in May 2023, before expanding to the adult ICU in November 2023.
An audit report released in February 2024 by Auditor General Lynn Pamment raised concerns on the engagement levels of senior clinicians and managers in the implementation of Jersey's electronic patient record, which is planned for deployment by 2025.