About EPS

This new service lets your GP practice send your prescription electronically to the place you choose to get your medication or appliance from – without the need for paper in some cases. This means there is less need for people with repeat prescriptions to call at their GP practice just to collect a prescription form.

At first, if you want your GP to send your prescription electronically, you must choose, or ‘nominate’, a place to receive your electronic prescriptions. This could be a pharmacy, dispensing appliance contractor or your GP practice if you are entitled to collect medication from there. Nomination works in a similar way to a prescription collection service where the pharmacy collects your prescription for you instead of you having to collect it from your GP practice. The main difference with nomination is that your prescription will be sent electronically and you don’t have to nominate a place that is close to your GP practice. For example, you could choose to nominate a place that is convenient to where you live, work or shop.

Different GP practices, pharmacies and dispensing appliance contractors will start using the second stage of the Electronic Prescription Service at different times. Your prescriptions cannot be sent electronically until your GP practice starts offering the service. Your GP practice can tell you when this will happen or look for the Electronic Prescription Service sign. Does using nomination mean I will see my GP less often?

Yes, but they will need to know some of your personal information such as your name, date of birth and address to do this.

As electronic prescriptions are used more and more, GP practices may start offering different ways to order repeat prescriptions that will not require a paper copy of the prescription. However, if you do require a paper copy, simply ask for one when you collect your medication or appliance.

No. The people who provide your prescription and medication will be using a computer.

You can only nominate a specific location to receive your electronic prescriptions.

Yes, but if you decide not to use it, you won’t be able to use nomination. This means you will need to continue to make arrangements to collect your paper prescription from your GP practice.