WELCOME TO THE DIGITAL MEDICINES NEWSLETTER

May 2024

Welcome to the May edition of the Digital Medicines newsletter. You may have noticed that we have tweaked our brand and have a new name which reflects a change to our management structure. Rest assured though that our four programmes and projects are continuing as before and at pace! You can find out more in our update below along with the latest news about the electronic prescription service, a fascinating interview about how new digital systems in hospitals will improve patient outcomes and lots more. 

Digital Medicines: A new name - same focus, vision and delivery  

Digital Medicines is the new name for our programmes and projects that are transforming medicines and prescribing processes in Wales.  

Since April 1 this year the four linked programmes and projects, which together formed the Digital Medicines Transformation Portfolio have been included in the wider portfolio of national programmes managed by Digital Health and Care Wales (DHCW). 

The programmes and projects are: 

• Electronic Prescription Service (EPS) in primary care 
• electronic Prescribing and Medicines Administration (ePMA) in secondary care 
• Shared Medicines Record 
• Patient access to medicines information through the NHS Wales App 

These programmes and projects are now known collectively as Digital Medicines. The dedicated Digital Medicines Transformation Portfolio has now closed, following transition to the general portfolio managed by DHCW.  

Integration with DHCW forms part of wider changes to the management of national digital health programmes, which will drive co-ordination, alignment and streamlined delivery. 

The refocused name reflects these governance changes while building on the progress made within each programme. Individual programmes will continue to deliver at pace and in collaboration and engagement with health and care partners and industry suppliers. 

Ifan Evans, DHCW’s Executive Director of Strategy, said: “Digital Medicines programmes and projects have made tremendous progress since they were established two years ago. This move to integrate with DHCW’s wider portfolio of national programmes is a natural step towards a single strategic portfolio of digital transformation programmes. 

“Digital Medicines are absolutely critical to making care better by modernising processes that have remained unchanged for decades. Our vision for fully digital prescribing across all care settings and our commitment to our partners and stakeholders remains unchanged.” 

Following an independent review into prescribing undertaken in 2021, Digital Medicines programmes and projects were established by Welsh Government in April 2022 and organised as a dedicated portfolio. In April 2024 the programmes have moved to a wider portfolio management arrangement which includes other national digital transformation programmes.   

With Cardiff and Vale University Health Board recently choosing NerveCentre as its preferred contractor to deliver digital prescribing in its hospitals, tangible improvements to medicines management in Wales are a step closer. In the coming months, we’ll be looking at the benefits electronic Prescribing and Medicines Administration (ePMA) will bring to patients and healthcare professionals. To start the series, we talk to our hospital e-prescribing lead, James Goddard. 

DM: Hi James! What is your background and interest in digital health and care? 

JG: I have always been drawn towards technology since childhood and, as boring as it might sound, I used to love helping out in computer club every lunchtime in high school. I can see now that this was as an early attempt at helping people to digitally help themselves. After many years as a clinical pharmacist, I undertook an MSc in Health Informatics and the British Computer Society (BCS) International Business Analysis diploma, and I’m currently studying for an MSc in Digital Transformation. 

DM: What drew you to your current role? 

JG: When working in a hospital reviewing patients’ medicines on a daily basis, I often found myself frustrated with the inefficiencies in workflows, especially when capturing and using data was part of the process. In my current role, I can help support improvements for both patients and staff, using ePMA in particular to make the right information available at the right time, in the right place. Ultimately, we can improve and optimise patient outcomes through more efficient and safer care. 

DM: What are your immediate priorities? 

JG:  We need to look at how things can be done once and then shared many times to support seamless and safe care for both patients and staff. An immediate priority is to improve consistency, safety and use of standards by working with colleagues across NHS Wales, and to anticipate where variation might creep in. 

DM: What is your long-term vision? 

JG: I want to make sure medicines and allergies information can be used safely, efficiently and accurately across all health care settings. Ultimately, this will join the dots from problems to outcomes, and in turn allow more efficient business intelligence, research and optimal medicines care delivery.  

DM: What will the main benefits be for patients? 

JG: The main benefits will be better, safer and more timely care, forming foundations for the patient to be more involved with their own care. It will also open the door to a sustainable NHS and future innovation.” 

Invatech Health gets green light to roll out electronic prescribing across Wales 

In a further exciting milestone for electronic prescribing in Wales, the pharmacy system supplier Invatech Health has been given the green light to roll out its technology across Wales.

Completion of successful live testing at a site in North Wales makes Invatech the first of the community pharmacy system suppliers to be ready for wider use across Wales. 

The Electronic Prescription Service (EPS) allows GP surgeries to send prescriptions electronically to the patient’s choice of community pharmacy, without the need for a paper form. Patients in Rhyl became the first in Wales to use electronic prescriptions in November 2023 using EMIS Group’s GP system and Invatech’s Titan pharmacy system. Since then, EPS has also benefited patients in Conwy, including those who collect prescriptions from the Gwynan Edwards pharmacy in Penmaenmawr, which also uses the Titan system. 

Jenny Pugh-Jones, who is leading the Primary Care Electronic Prescription Service programme, said: “I am delighted that we have our first fully accredited community pharmacy system supplier. This is a significant milestone as we begin roll out and it demonstrates the co-operation between everyone involved.”  

Tariq Muhammad, Invatech Chief Executive, said: “We’re delighted that our patient medication record (PMR) system is the first to be approved for EPS use in Wales. It’s going to bring great benefits to existing Titan customers and their patients, and we’re looking forward to enabling other pharmacies to take on the benefits, too.” 

This development has been supported by the Community Pharmacy System Innovation Fund, established by Life Sciences Hub Wales (LSHW) and Digital Medicines on behalf of Welsh Government. Read the full story about Invatech’s roll out approval here. 

Photo: Invatech Health's Titan PMR leadership team

Commemorative plaques mark first use of Electronic Prescription Service in Wales 

The first GP surgery and pharmacy to use electronic prescriptions in Wales have been honoured with the presentation of commemorative plaques. 

Rhyl’s Lakeside Medical Centre and Wellington Road Pharmacy were awarded the plaques by Digital Health and Care Wales (DHCW) to mark their role as trailblazers for the new electronic prescribing service (EPS). 

Presenting the plaques, DHCW’s lead for EPS, Jenny Pugh-Jones said, “We are delighted to recognise Lakeside Medical Centre and Wellington Road Pharmacy for their vital input. Their co-operation has been critical in helping to launch a new national service that will completely change the way prescriptions are managed, at the same time offering a better, more convenient service for patients. 

“Our gratitude also to the patients who were the first in Wales to use electronic prescriptions. We recognise the valuable support of everyone involved.” 

Charlotte Smith, Wellington Road’ s Lead Pharmacist, said, “This is a revolution for prescription services and one of the most impactful uses of modern technology I’ve come across. Since November we’ve dispensed more than 5,000 prescription items using the electronic service and this is only going to grow.” 



Read the full story here.  

Cardiff and Vale assurance plan in place to deliver electronic Prescribing and Medicines Administration

Cardiff and Vale University Health Board (CAVUHB) is making good progress with ePMA following the announcement in March that it has chosen Nervecentre as its supplier. 

The ePMA team is now working through clinical and technical assurance requirements for the new system after its Assurance Quality Plan was signed off by the Welsh Informatics Assurance Group (WIAG) in February.  

Digital Medicines is working with health board colleagues to produce an ePMA communications toolkit and will share further details soon. Don’t forget that we have also established a Community of Knowledge and Action to support the delivery of ePMA, and if you work for a health board or trust in Wales you can get involved. The next CoKA meeting takes place on June 20 at 1pm and you can find out more by emailing DHCW.ePMA@wales.nhs.uk.  

Testing continues to ensure coded information can be stored in

Shared Medicines Record  

Work continues on the Shared Medicines Record (SMR) Application Programming Interfaces (API) to ensure that coded medicines and allergies information can be shared with appropriate systems and stored in a standard way. Internal testing is underway with support from the National Data Resource programme (NDR). 

This is your chance to find out what members of our team are up to! This month we welcome our newest colleague Clarissa, who joined us recently from the National Imaging Programme. 

Clarissa Wong, EPS Project Support Officer 

Joined Digital Medicines: April 2024 

I have come to Digital Medicines from the National Imaging Programme team, which I joined as Senior Project Support Officer in January 2023 to support the delivery of projects and programmes relating to Workforce and Education and Strategic Resources Planning workstreams. Before this, I was in a similar role at Public Health Wales following my relocation to the UK in July 2022.  

My journey in the healthcare industry started over a decade ago when, back in Hong Kong, I worked alongside multi-disciplinary teams and medical professionals in hospital administration and on various hospital-wide projects. I am eager to be part of the dynamic team driving the digitalisation of health care services in Wales, and I am looking forward to collaborating with colleagues to achieve this vision. 

Wales has stunning landscape and I have endless to-do and bucket lists! I would love to make the most of it by exploring the mountains, coasts, valleys and everything here.  

Members of the Digital Medicines ePMA team visited Cardiff and Vale UHB colleagues in April as they start to learn how Nervecentre’s digital system works.  

As we reported in our March newsletter, the new system will replace the paper drug charts currently kept at the end of a patient’s bed and will enable safer prescribing and administration of medicines. It will also enable allergy and drug interaction checking, reducing the likelihood of medication errors, and improve patient care. 

Secondary Care ePMA Programme Oversight Chair Dr Lesley Jones, Programme Manager Louise Gregory, DHCW Assistant Chief Architect Rhian Rice and Medicines Nurse Clinical Informaticist Lead Amy Mumford were among those who visited the CAVUHB team. Dr Jones said: “CAV’s ePMA team is moving forward with understanding the Nervecentre system and they demonstrated what a difference this will make in clinical practice.  

“The excitement of the team was visible and the potential for all the information to be at their fingertips in the clinical setting was amazing to see. We are looking forward to working with CAVUHB while the system is being implemented and seeing its true clinical value for healthcare staff and patients.” 

Sandra Watts, Senior Nurse for ePMA at CAVUHB, added: “It was great to be able to host DHCW colleagues and share with them the ways that we hope this new system will improve patient care and staff experience.  

“This system represents a huge cultural change for our staff and patients and also for our support teams, requiring different ways of working. We are already working closely with Nervecentre to configure the system to meet our needs as a Health Board and look forward to the implementation and the benefits we will see.” 

 Photo: Secondary Care ePMA Programme Oversight Chair Dr Lesley Jones

Sign up to our June e-Prescribing masterclass

Don’t miss the next ePrescribing Masterclass which takes place online on Wednesday, June 5. This series comprises a monthly Masterclass webinar for NHS organisations to share their learning and experience of digital transformation. It also enables health boards and trusts to follow in others’ footsteps as quickly and effectively as possible. 

You can register here: Wednesday 5 June 2024 

ePMA framework wins national award

DHCW Commercial Services team has been recognised at the UK-wide GO Awards for its work in developing and establishing the electronic prescribing and medicines administration (ePMA) framework which enable health boards to procure systems from three agreed suppliers. 

The team won the ‘Procurement Delivery’ Award for the e-prescribing framework and hospital pharmacy agreement as well as scooping the ‘Procurement Excellence’ award for the best overall performance of a procurement team across the UK’s public sector. 

The double win meant the Commercial Services team were the overall winners of the GO Awards 2023/24.  

Matthew Perrott, Senior Procurement Lead, Commercial Services, said: “It is a very special moment, not just for Commercial Services team, but DHCW. The procurement work undertaken to deliver the Hospital Pharmacy Agreement and ePrescribing Framework was recognised as the Best UK Procurement Delivery. 

"After winning that category, we were then considered against the winners of all the other Categories for the overall winner across the UK in 2024... and won, being honoured with the Procurement Excellence award. 

“This goes to show that when DHCW and our partners across Wales work together we are leading the UK, setting an example of collaboration, engagement and success.” 

 Photo: Matthew Perrott, Senior Procurement Lead, Commercial Services

Digital Health and Care Wales Staff Recognition Awards 2024

The EPS team is celebrating after being shortlisted in two categories in the DHCW Staff Recognition Awards. Colleagues are up for Team of the Year and Best Collaboration and Engagement in the workplace and with partners. 



A number of members of the Digital Medicines team also received nominations and we’re sure you’ll share in wishing everyone who has been nominated and shortlisted a huge congratulations – it’s worthy recognition for all the work that has been delivered across Digital Medicines.  

The winners will be announced on June 12 – good luck to everyone shortlisted! 

Digital Medicines is making the prescribing, dispensing and administration of medicines, easier, safer, more efficient and effective for patients and professionals through digital. 

It brings together the programmes and projects that will deliver the benefits of a fully digital prescribing approach in all care settings in Wales. Digital Medicines coordinates four areas of work, all of which have connections with each other:

• The delivery of an Electronic Prescription Service (EPS) in primary care
• The implementation of an electronic Prescribing and Medicines Administration (ePMA) on hospital wards
• The development of a Shared Medicines Record
• Medicines functionality and patient access within the NHS Wales App

If you would like to know more about our work or have a suggestion about how we can engage with you, we’d love to hear from you!  



Email: DigitalMedicines.Comms@wales.nhs.uk, visit our web pages or follow Digital Health and Care Wales on our social media channels: