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Finding an electronic prescription

To dispense an electronic prescription, a pharmacist/dispenser will need to locate the prescription within the Electronic Prescription Service (EPS). Find out how to do this.

Finding a prescription

If your pharmacy regularly downloads nominated prescriptions from the NHS Spine, you should find these prescriptions within your Pharmacy Medicine Record (PMR) system.

If you can't find an EPS prescription, follow these steps. 

1. Do a routine prescription download

If the prescription downloads into your PMR system, prepare and dispense it as usual.
 

2. Search for the prescription on the EPS Prescription Tracker (search by NHS number or Prescription ID)

Search the EPS Prescription Tracker

When searching for a non-nominated (Phase 4) prescription, enter the Prescription ID if provided, or use the option to search by NHS number.  Ensure that the ‘my site’ box is not ticked when searching by NHS number.

If the prescription is listed in the search results as 'To Be Dispensed', you can copy the Prescription ID from the EPS Prescription Tracker and paste it into your PMR system search box to force the prescription to download from the Spine. Then prepare and dispense as usual. 

To copy and paste highlight and copy the Prescription ID by selecting the text with your mouse, and copy (Ctrl + c) from the EPS Prescription Tracker and then paste (Ctrl + v) it into your PMR system.

3. If the prescription is listed in the search results as 'With Dispenser', click on the Prescription ID to view details

There are then two scenarios:

a.    The prescription is listed as 'With Dispenser' and the dispensing site information shows your site as the dispenser.

This indicates that the prescription is 'stuck/lost' within your PMR system, and you should contact your system supplier to have the prescription reset.

In the meantime, the prescriber could issue a paper token, enabling you to dispense the prescription.

b.    The prescription is listed as 'With Dispenser' and the dispensing site information shows a different site as the dispenser.

If the patient still wants you to dispense their medication, you can contact the other pharmacy using the details from the EPS Prescription Tracker and ask them to return the prescription to the Spine. Once they have done that, the status on the tracker will change to 'To Be Dispensed'. You can then force the prescription to download from the Spine using the process detailed in point two above.

Last edited: 8 April 2020 8:21 am