About EPS
The Electronic Prescription Service (EPS) sends electronic prescriptions from GP surgeries to pharmacies. Eventually EPS will remove the need for most paper prescriptions…
Electronic Prescriptions
Most prescriptions are now signed, sent and processed electronically.
You have 2 choices for how this works.
- You can choose a pharmacy or dispenser to dispense all your prescriptions. When you get a prescription, it will be sent electronically to the dispenser you have chosen. You can collect your medicines or appliances without having to hand in a paper prescription.
- You can decide each time you are issued a prescription where you would like it to be dispensed. When you are issued a prescription, you will be given a paper copy that you can take to any pharmacy or other dispenser in England. The paper copy will contain a unique barcode that will be scanned to download your prescription from the secure NHS database.
Paper prescriptions will continue to be available in special circumstances, but almost all prescriptions will be processed electronically.
Cancelling or changing your choice of pharmacist or dispenser
You can change or cancel your choice of dispenser at any time. Simply speak to your GP or pharmacist before you order your next prescription.
You should allow time for the update to take place to avoid your next prescription being sent to the wrong place.
What can I do if I’m unhappy with the process?
You should be provided with information about electronic prescriptions and give your consent before your choice of dispenser is recorded.
If you’re unhappy with your experience, you can complain to the dispenser, your GP practice or your local clinical commissioning group (CCG).