One million prescription items have been dispensed in Wales via a digital service which makes the prescribing process easier and safer for patients.
The Electronic Prescription Service (EPS) - one of the biggest changes in decades to the way NHS Wales manages prescriptions - reached the milestone this month, just over a year since the service was launched.
Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing Sarah Murphy, with responsibility for health innovation, technology and digital transformation, said:
“Reaching one million electronic prescription items is a significant milestone for NHS Wales and demonstrates our commitment to modernising healthcare delivery. This digital service is making life easier for patients across Wales while helping our dedicated healthcare professionals work more efficiently. The successful rollout of the Electronic Prescription Service shows how we're harnessing digital technology to improve healthcare services for everyone in Wales."
EPS enables prescriptions to be sent electronically from a GP practice to a pharmacy or dispenser, which is convenient for patients and more efficient for healthcare staff. There’s no need for the traditional green paper form to be printed and collected from the surgery, and it allows staff to track where a prescription is at any time.
The first electronic prescription in Wales was sent in November 2023 from Lakeside Medical Centre in Rhyl, Denbighshire, to the town’s Wellington Road Pharmacy. Since then, it has been rolled out in phases and is now available in every health board in Wales. More than a quarter of pharmacies in Wales are using the service, with roll out continuing to all GP practices, pharmacies and dispensers as quickly and safely as possible.
Laurence James, Head of Medicines Programmes at Digital Health and Care Wales (DHCW), said:
“Achieving the milestone of one million primary care prescription items dispensed through the Electronic Prescription Service is a remarkable success for the Digital Medicines Programme. This represents substantial growth from 860 items in January 2024 to one million in February 2025, highlighting the rapid adoption and implementation.
Notably, all community pharmacy Patient Medication Record (PMR) systems in Wales have now completed the necessary assurance activities to begin receiving digital prescriptions from GP practices, which will further drive uptake and make the prescribing and dispensing of medicines easier, safer and more efficient through digital.”
Jenny Pugh-Jones, Programme Oversight Chair of EPS in Wales, said:
“I’m delighted that one million prescription items have been dispensed in Wales via the Electronic Prescription Service. This is a landmark moment and, while there is still plenty of work to do, it’s important to reflect on how far we’ve come since the first prescription was sent electronically in Rhyl.
“Our EPS programme team is working incredibly hard with primary care colleagues, community pharmacy and software partners to make this vision a reality across Wales, and we look forward to continuing to roll out the benefits to patients in every community.”
EPS is a key part of the Digital Medicines programme managed by DHCW. It is supported by the Community Pharmacy System Innovation Fund, which was established by Life Sciences Hub Wales (LSHW) and Digital Medicines on behalf of Welsh Government.
Cari-Anne Quinn, Chief Executive Officer, Life Sciences Hub Wales, said:
“We’re delighted to be celebrating this exciting milestone as the programme surpasses one million items. Since its rollout in 2023, the progress highlights the power of digital solutions in driving impact where it’s needed most, while supporting a more sustainable future for Wales.
At Life Sciences Hub Wales, we’re proud to have worked alongside Digital Health and Care Wales and software suppliers to manage the grant effectively, ensuring funding reaches recipients to continue their invaluable work.”
EPS is free and secure, and patients do not need to go online to use the service. They simply ask staff at their GP practice or usual pharmacy or dispenser to sign them up.
EPS is also good for the environment, as it aims to reduce the amount of paper printed by NHS Wales.
