We deployed electronic outpatients across two hospital sites, configuring the system with our suppliers WellSky, as a rapid deployment in response to COVID-19. This had the benefit of ensuring staff could work remotely, working with teleclinics and virtual clinics as well as reducing the transport of paper through the hospital, as pharmacy could see when a script was written and process the script from there. It also ensured that the scripts were legible, legal and contained the information needed. As the prescriptions were electronic, they formed part of the patients record and could be seen by other prescribers who accessed the record when prescribing for the patient. The system alerts prescribers to allergies and interactions as well as therapeutic duplicates, which on average causes 300 prescriptions to be changed per month.
Additionally we sought to share this information with primary care. This allows for the prescription information to be sent securely, to create a more comprehensive record of what the patient is receiving. We also sought to enhance the process for GP recommendations, where a patient is seen in clinic, yet does not urgently require a supply to be made. Here the consultant or Specialist sees the patient in clinic, and recommends a change in therapy to primary care, for the GP to prescribe, if they are in agreement. The system allows this information to be sent and be with the GP within 3 hours of the patient being seen.
