Chemist prescribed new dispensing tech

High street pharmacist Lloydspharmacy is rolling out a new electronic dispensary system that will help prepare for the expanded role of pharmacies in healthcare over the next few years.

Its Compass (Complete medication and patient support system) has been developed with Capgemini and is now being introduced to branches across the UK.

By the end of November, the company hopes to have the system in place in 108 branches. It will be fully rolled out to all 1,540 pharmacies by the end of 2007.

The role of pharmacies in healthcare is likely to increase over the next few years, and Compass programme director Gary Feary said the new dispensary service will support a number of new business initiatives. He told silicon.com it is "the key business system both commercially and clinically".

New services to be offered include private consultations, drug utilisation reviews, management of chronic conditions such as asthma and treatment of minor ailments.

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Feary said Compass will assist with these services by allowing pharmacy staff to "capture more detail on the patients themselves", which can then be used to make more informed clinical decisions.

Another significant benefit of Compass will be to link all of the different branches. Previously, each pharmacy used it own system, with no connection between branches.

Feary said the introduction of Compass would mean "the dispensary system will be consistent across the UK".

Differences within the NHS across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales have complicated the implementation of Compass. For example in England, the first phase of the NHS Electronic Prescription Service was recently launched, while in Scotland the Electronic Minor Ailments Service was put in place.

It was decided that more time was needed for these new initiatives to bed in before Compass was introduced in these regions. As a result, the first site to trial the system in April 2006 was in Wales, where no new systems would interfere.