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by Kelly Harris, Senior Category Manager – Digital & IT NHS Shared Business Services. |
The 21 October is Pharmacy Technician Day, a day where we honour the vital role of our technicians – the heart of every prescription. They ensure the safe, effective and efficient medicines use to support patients. It’s easy to say that their dedication keeps healthcare moving.
The role of medicine optimisation technology solutions in modern healthcare
In today’s healthcare landscape, medicine optimisation technology is transforming how pharmacy teams deliver safe, effective and patient-centred care. From electronic prescribing systems to data-driven decision tools, these solutions empower clinicians and technicians to reduce medication errors, improve adherence, and enhance outcomes. By integrating technology into every step of medicines pathway, professionals are not only streamlining workflows – they’re shaping a smarter, safer future for patient care.
Our Medicines Optimisation Prescribing Decision Support Systems 3 Framework Agreement delivers market leading point of prescribing decision support (POPDS) products and services that look at the value medicines deliver, ensuring they are both clinically effective and cost effective. It’s built for patient safety and care, ensuring patients get the right choice of medicines, at the right time, which, in turn, improves patient experience.
Lot 1: Medicine optimisation systems
Offers computerised support which enables prescribers to switch easily to the suggested medicine, at an appropriate dose and frequency. If the switch suggested by the solution is accepted by the prescriber (typically a GP or a nurse with a prescribing role), this increases the effectiveness, safety and cost effectiveness of prescribing in general practices.
Lot 2: Data population health medicine optimisation systems –
Enables customers to access healthcare decision intelligence tools to make more informed, evidence-based decisions when prescribing medicines by providing them with insights and recommendations based on data and analytics for general practices, hospitals, and community care.
Benefits of medicine optimisation technology
- Easy switching of medicines
Enables prescribers to switch easily to the suggested medicine, at an appropriate dose and frequency, supporting medicines optimisation interventions that reduce preventable hospital admissions and deliver significant annual saving for primary care.
- Healthcare decision intelligence tools
Enables healthcare prescribers to access healthcare decision intelligence tools to make more informed, evidence-based decisions when prescribing medicines by providing them with insights and recommendations based on data and analytics for general practices, hospitals and community care.
- Clear and concise suggestions
Provides clear and concise suggestions of more effective, safer or cost-effective medicines early in the process when a prescriber has begun to prescribe a medicine that is deemed likely to be a suboptimal choice, considering relevant national guidance.
- Cost efficiency
Supports better and more cost-effective prescribing in primary care. Following a National Audit Office report, the Kings Fund estimates that standardisation of prescribing practices for certain treatments could save the NHS over £200 million in a year.
- Improved quality of output
Aims to enhance accuracy, visibility and consistency for healthcare professionals when prescribing, dispensing or administering medication. Supports medicines optimisation and management teams in reducing the occurrence of preventable medication errors in their CCG. It also identifies and analyses health behaviours nationally on specific areas and seeks opportunities for the improvement of clinical outcomes.
Flexible routes to market
Our framework agreements are open to both the NHS and wider public sector to utilise. Via them, you can direct award or run a further competition. Our category experts are on hand to support you, ensuring that you use the most effective route for your needs, driving best value and outcomes.
If you have any questions or would like to find out more about how our team and framework agreement could support you, don’t hesitate to get in touch.
