The information on this page is recommended best practice when using the Electronic Prescription Service module for Release 2 prescriptions. Please refer to your SOPs in the first instance.
Nominations
When a patient enters your pharmacy, there are two ways to nominate them to your pharmacy using the Nominate Dispensary function within the ETP Manager.
Before nominating a patient to your pharmacy you must obtain their consent.
- Best practice is to search using the patient’s NHS number.
- However, if this is not available, you can use the patient demographic search.
If multiple patients are to be nominated, it is recommended that the batch nomination window is used, which will only allow you to nominate using the NHS number.
A patient’s nomination can be removed using the same Nominate Dispensary function.
Downloading Prescriptions
Upon first smartcard authentication, prescriptions can be manually downloaded upon accessing the ETP Manager.
It is recommended that frequent manual requests to download new prescriptions are carried out throughout the day using the Nominated Scripts function, for example:
- Every hour
- Every time you’re at a terminal
- Over lunch
- During busy surgery hours
- Before deadlines for wholesale orders
If you cannot find a prescription for a patient, you can use their NHS number to carry out a search on the EPS Prescription Tracker.
Processing Prescriptions
At the point of processing (i.e. dispensing) the prescription, it is best practice to ensure you have marked the items with the below status if applicable:
- Owing
- Partial
- Not Dispensed
If you have made an error after processing a prescription, the option to reprocess the script is available under Re-process Script.
At this point, also take care to refer to the on-screen electronic prescription token to determine if there is any:
- Patient Information issued by the prescriber that needs to be communicated to the patient;
- Additional Instructions issued by the prescriber that needs to be considered when dispensing the script.
Endorsements
As payment is based solely on the electronic message, it is important you ensure that correct information is submitted when you come to claim the prescription.
It is recommended that you add any additional endorsements to support the payment of the item at the point of dispensing. If, however, you do not have all the information required, it is recommended that you select the Requires Attention flag when saving the prescription.
Endorsements can be added after a prescription has been dispensed by editing the prescription. This can be done at any stage, including after sending a claim, however, you must ensure that amendments are re-claimed within the claim window.
Exemptions and Tokens
The patient’s exemption should be captured before handing over the prepared medication. It is also good practice to ensure the patient’s PMR has been updated to reflect any exemption changes as this will aid in future dispensing/exemption checking.
When enabled, the Real Time Exemption Check functionality will assist you in your processes for checking the exemption status during the dispensing process.
Dispensing tokens should be printed to capture:
- Non-age-related exemptions
- Non-exempt patient signatures
Tokens do not need to be sorted in the same way as FP10s, but they do need to be separated from the FP10s before they are sent to NHS Prescription Services.
Tokens printed for dispensing purposes that have not been signed by the patient can be confidentially destroyed.
During the pandemic, it is no longer necessary for contractors to submit EPS tokens to the NHS BSA (other than those used for Serious Shortage Protocol claims) whilst the suspension of signature requirements remains in place. This temporary suspension will be lifted once it is deemed safe for patients to resume signing of forms at which point pharmacy contractors will be required to submit relevant tokens to the NHSBSA, as before.
Dispense Notification (DN)
The DN should be sent when the patient (or their representative) collects the medication, even where there is an owing created.
Scripts containing owings will require a second DN to be submitted once the owing has been completed. Owings must be completed in order to submit claims.
Whilst you can send the DN for an individual prescription, it is recommended that you submit batch DNs throughout the day. This can be achieved using one of the options below through the Batch Functions window:
- To Send DN only; view all prescriptions to send dispense notifications
- Scan To Send DN; scan prescriptions to send dispense notifications
The DN must be sent in the same month the patient has collected their medication. It is strongly advised that the submission of DNs is not left to the end of the month.
Claim/Reclaim
Claims and reclaims can be sent using one of options below through the Batch Functions window:
- To Send Claims only; view all prescriptions to send claims
- Scan To Send Claims; scan prescriptions to send claims
- Reclaimable only; view all prescriptions to send reclaims
It is recommended that claims are sent in batches (not exceeding 1,000 forms per batch):
- Throughout the day
- Weekly
- At the end of the month (however, this should not be left for the last day of the month).
All claims must be submitted prior to the 5th of the following month in order for them to be included in the current month’s figures, else reimbursement will be delayed.
Any prescriptions which you have sent in error can be reclaimed within the same claim window, however a script cannot be withdrawn once it has been claimed.