Readers’ insight into e-prescribing needed…

21 Apr 2008

On 30 April, E-Health Insider and the British Computer Society Health Informatics Forum will hold an invitation only round table event on patient safety through e-prescribing.

To help fully inform the round-table discussion we need help from EHI readers with expertise and insight on this vital subject.

Download the brief

The afternoon event will examine the contribution e-prescribing can make to improved patient safety in the NHS, taking the experience of e-prescribing to date in primary care and applying the key lessons learned to its development in the acute hospital sector.

The round table will comprise an expert panel of NHS, provider, industry and academic experts who will discuss the key topics involved, highlight areas where further work and research is needed and make recommendations for the future.

The event will be chaired by Dr Glyn Hayes and is sponsored by First DataBankEurope.

The attached brief on the event has been produced for EHI readers, setting out the topics for discussion. EHI readers are invited to submit their views and insight ahead of the round-table. Comments received will be incorporated into the discussion and the discussion paper produced from the event, which will be emailed to EHI subscribers.

Download the brief here.

Your comments invited

What do you see as the key issues involved in ensuring the introduction of e-prescribing in the acute sector leads to improvements in patient safety? What are the lessons that can be learned from the primary care experience on e-prescribing?

How to submit your comments

EHI readers can submit comments in two ways

Reader Comment tool – posted directly against this comment and analysis article using the reader comment tool (log-in required)

By email – sent to editor@e-health-media.com

The final date for submitting comments for the round table is 28.04.08

An outline of the discussion topics to be covered by the panel is listed in the round table brief, which you can download here.

If you have any questions please contact Jon Hoeksma, editor E-Health Insider, Tel 02077856905 Email jon@e-health-media.com

Supported by

Reader's Comments

Other issues may need to be sorted first

markmccartney@doctors.org.uk

22 Apr 08 21:21

I work in a GP Health Centre and benefit from electronic prescribing - information on formulary, cost, interactions and allergies are available and occasionally flagged up if I erroneously prescribe. However I try to be careful not to rely on the system to protect me from my mistakes. I have the back up of qualifed and trained dispensers on site and work in an environment of continuity of care and professional responsibility for my actions. The hospital environment is much different with prescribing for individual patients being shared by many clinicians, including now specialist nurses. I am concerned that electronic prescribing is being introduced as a solution for other problems in the secondary care sector that have not yet been resolved - communication and responsibility for patient care being paramount. Are the patient records and summaries suitable for these changes?

Difficult ...

24 Apr 08 09:56

Given the current EPR systems on offer .. Lorenzo and Millennium .. do not seem to support any form of medication record at present let alone e-prescribing will it be possible to have any form of constructive dialogue?

(post edited by EHI)

Very Short Timescale

30 Apr 08 11:18

A week's notice. Reminiscent of NPfIT. Only just seen, and no time to respond, which is a shame.