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Source: DoH Press Release 2000/0706, Friday 1 December 2000.

Another key milestone has been reached in establishing electronic transmission of prescriptions, as Health Minister Lord Philip Hunt announced today the shortlist to take forward the pilot programme.

The electronic transfer of prescriptions (ETP) between GPs, community pharmacies and the Prescription Pricing Authority is one of the key elements of 'Pharmacy in the Future', the programme for pharmacy announced by Lord Hunt earlier this year.

The programme pledged that by 2004 electronic prescriptions would be introduced, with GPs emailing prescriptions directly to the pharmacist. Significant benefits for patients are expected, including fewer trips to the GP surgery to collect repeat prescriptions, and an end to illegible and incomplete prescriptions.

Lord Hunt said: "I believe ETP has enormous potential to improve services and bring real benefits to patients. It represents another major step towards modernising primary care in the NHS.

"Following the project's launch in September, the Department received more than 70 expressions of interest in running pilots from the commercial sector. We have now short-listed seven high quality proposals, covering a range of technical solutions, to go forward to the next stage. We will be writing to the successful companies to invite them to work closely with officials to fine-tune their proposals. Up to three pilots will get the green light by March."

The short listed organisations are:

• Clinovia Ltd;
• ITS Wales;
• Online Prescriptions Ltd;
• Pharmacy2U Consortium;
• Security Printing & Systems Ltd;
• Sema Group Consortium; and
• TransScript Consortium.

Pilots will start in 2001 and run for at least six months. An independent evaluation of the pilots will test benefits, risks and costs of ETP, and will inform the business case on how best to roll out ETP across the NHS.

Lord Hunt added: "I am pleased we are able to work constructively with industry in this way. Pilot approval has been, and will continue to be, an open and fair process which has the full support of the GP and pharmacy professions."