A Welsh hospital has replaced paper prescriptions with a digital system in the first phase of a wider electronic medicines rollout.
Aneurin Bevan University Health Board has deployed Better Meds, an electronic prescribing and medication administration system, marking Better’s third ePMA go-live in Wales.
Electronic prescribing and medication administration, known as ePMA, allows healthcare professionals to prescribe, administer and review medicines digitally instead of using paper charts.
The first phase has taken place at Ysbyty Ystrad Fawr, where clinical teams have begun using the system in the hospital’s stroke rehabilitation unit.
The deployment forms part of the health board’s wider digital transformation programme alongside Digital Health and Care Wales.
It is intended to improve medicines management, patient safety and clinical workflows across the health board’s services.
Aneurin Bevan University Health Board serves approximately 650,000 people across Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Monmouthshire, Newport, Torfaen and South Powys.
It employs more than 14,000 staff and provides acute, community, mental health and primary care services across hospitals and community settings.
Multidisciplinary teams from the health board and Better worked together to support the move from paper medication charts to electronic prescribing.
Patients were transferred onto the system through transcription, verification and clinical review, providing a safe and structured introduction to routine care.
The deployment builds on Better’s growing presence in Wales as the use of digital medicines systems increases across the country.
Better Meds provides clinicians with one electronic platform for prescribing, administering and reviewing medicines.
The company said this could support safer prescribing, improve access to medicines information and make clinical workflows more efficient.
The deployment also supports plans for a Shared Medicines Record across Wales.
The proposed system would allow healthcare professionals to access and update accurate medicines information throughout a patient’s care using a single record.
Craig Roberts, assistant director of allied health professions and health science at Aneurin Bevan University Health Board and senior responsible officer for its ePMA programme, said: “This milestone is a reflection of what can be achieved when healthcare professionals, digital specialists, programme teams and partners work together with a shared purpose.
“Reaching this point represents many months of planning, learning and collective effort, all focused on improving patient safety and supporting our staff to deliver high-quality care.
“As the first step in our ePMA journey, it provides a strong foundation for the wider rollout across the Health Board.”
Dr Lesley Hewer, chair of the national ePMA programme at Digital Health and Care Wales, said: “The level of calm from all involved on the day is a true reflection of the level of hard work and commitment that has been dedicated to deliver this transition to electronic prescribing, improving the prescribing process by making it safer for patients and easier for healthcare staff.
“Congratulations to all who have been a part of this mighty team effort. I look forward to seeing the continued roll out across the health board, improving and optimising the medication processes.”
Maria Harris, project manager at Better Meds, said: “This go-live represents another significant milestone for Better in Wales.
“We are proud to be working alongside Aneurin Bevan University Health Board as they continue their digital medicines transformation journey. The dedication and collaboration demonstrated by teams across the organisations have been instrumental in delivering a successful start to the programme, and we look forward to supporting future phases of the rollout.”
The implementation at Ysbyty Ystrad Fawr is the first stage of the health board’s adoption of Better Meds.
The organisations said the programme is intended to improve patient care and medication safety while supporting healthcare professionals in delivering services.
