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All community pharmacies in Wales are now equipped to receive electronic prescriptions, Digital Health and Care Wales (DHCW) announced today (September 29).

DHCW said over 36 million prescription items have been claimed through EPS in Wales since November 2023, with up to 30 GP surgeries expected to go live each month ahead of the rollout date for practices of November 30.

Chief pharmaceutical officer Andrew Evans said the rollout is “part of a much wider transformation of the role of community pharmacies,” adding that EPS is  “already making more than one million people in Wales’ prescription journey more convenient” and freeing up pharmacists to “spend more of their time supporting patients and carers“.

Laurence James, Head of Medicines Programmes at DHCW, commented: "Reaching the milestone where every community pharmacy in Wales can now receive prescriptions digitally from GP practices through the Electronic Prescription Service is a significant achievement and a testament to all those involved.

“It represents years of partnership working between pharmacy teams, GP practices, system suppliers and partner organisations across the NHS and Welsh Government.

“These efforts are helping to deliver a more efficient, effective and streamlined prescribing service, improving the experience for both patients and healthcare professionals across Wales.” 

Mahshid Chegounchei, a pharmacist in Raglan, said: "It's fantastic to see community pharmacies across Wales now able to receive electronic prescriptions through EPS. 

"By reducing reliance on paper prescriptions and providing greater visibility of where prescriptions are in the process, EPS makes the experience smoother for patients and supports more efficient ways of working for pharmacy teams. 

"We're pleased to be part of this significant step forward for prescribing and dispensing in Wales and look forward to seeing the benefits continue to develop as adoption grows."