Evaluation of an e-prescribing pilot in an inpatient recovery unit
Sarah Greef Advanced trainee in rehabilitation psychiatry, 2gether NHS Foundation Trust
Rob Macpherson Consultant psychiatrist, 2gether NHS Foundation Trust
Claudia Calciu Staff grade psychiatrist, 2gether NHS Foundation Trust
Judith Boniface Clinical systems change lead, 2gether NHS Foundation Trust
Rachel Jackson Clinical mental health pharmacist, 2gether NHS Foundation Trust
Chris Foy Medical statistician, Gloucestershire Royal Hospital
Charles Garton Deputy manager, Honeybourne Unit, Cheltenham
Sarah Greef and colleagues examine the pros and cons for staff and patients of electronic prescribing with the expectation that its use will become more widespread
Aim To evaluate an e-prescribing pilot project that took place in a recovery unit in Gloucestershire.
Method Nursing and medical staff recorded the time it took to prescribe and administer medication electronically and in paper form. A structured questionnaire was used to assess staff experience and attitudes to e-prescribing after the pilot had ended.
Findings It took longer to prescribe and administer medication electronically as compared to using paper prescriptions. Staff identified benefits of e-prescribing, but had a greater number of concerns.
Conclusion For e-prescribing to be used safely and for the benefit of patients in the future, the system needs to evolve to meet prescribing needs. Staff will need support and education to switch to this new way of working.
Mental Health Practice.
19, 5, 20-24.
doi: 10.7748/mhp.19.5.20.s17
Correspondence
sarah.greef@nhs.net
Peer review
This article has been subject to double-blind review and has been checked using antiplagiarism software
Conflict of interest
None declared
Received: 06 October 2014
Accepted: 22 September 2015
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