Electronic Repeat Dispensing (eRD)

BACK TO MAIN INDEX

What is an eRD?

If you or someone you care for uses the same medicines regularly, you may be able to benefit from electronic repeat dispensing. This means you won't have to re-order your repeat prescriptions every time you need more medicine.

You can collect your regular medication from your usual pharmacy each month.

To enable electronic repeat dispensing you need to have a nominated pharmacy. Your regular prescription will be available at that pharmacy in a time frame that is set by the GP.

When your pharmacy supplies your last electronic repeat prescription, they will inform you. You will then have to contact your GP practice to request another prescription. You may need book an appointment with a Clinician for a review or have routine medication monitoring in the form of a blood test, blood pressure or ECG check. This will usually happen in the month of your birth.

Benefits of eRD

• Electronic repeat dispensing (eRD) is an integral part of EPS, which offers many extra benefits over paper repeat dispensing and repeat prescribing. 
• Two-thirds of prescriptions issued in primary care are repeat prescriptions. These repeat prescriptions account for nearly 80% of NHS medicine costs for primary care.
• 410 million repeat prescriptions are generated every year - equivalent to an average of more than 375 per GP per week
• It is estimated that up to 330 million, or 80%, of all repeat prescriptions could be placed on eRD this could save 2.7 million hours of GP and practice time.
• There is no need to contact the surgery to reorder at regular intervals unless their condition changes. You will only need to order your next prescription when the pharmacy tell you to do so. 
• Your nominated pharmacy is responsible for checking that your circumstances haven't changed  when you collect your prescription, 
• You can change your nominated pharmacy at any time during the duration of the eRD prescription.
• If clinically appropriate, you can request the next issue early, for example when going on holiday.
• Although eRD has benefits, it may not be suitable for all patients, please check with the prescribing team if you wish to discuss changing to eRD.

How does eRD Work?

• eRD allows the prescriber to authorise and issue a ‘batch’ of repeatable prescriptions for up to 12 months.
• eRD prescriptions are secured on the NHS Spine and automatically sends them to the patient's nominated pharmacy at intervals. 
• Patients are required to give their consent for repeat dispensing. This can be verbal or written.
• eRD allows the cancellation at item or whole prescription level, which will cancel all subsequent issues on the Spine.