Electronic prescribing systems
Replaces the paper prescription pad with safer, auditable digital prescribing
What it is
About Electronic prescribing systems
Electronic prescribing (e-prescribing) systems — such as EMIS, SystmOne, JAC, or hospital EPR-integrated modules — let clinicians prescribe medicines digitally, with built-in checks for interactions, allergies, and dosing, and a full audit trail. They're central to medicines safety and optimisation work across primary and secondary care, reducing transcription errors compared with handwritten prescriptions.
What you can do with it
Capabilities
Prescribe medicines with built-in interaction and allergy checks
Review and reconcile a patient's medication history
Track and audit prescribing decisions over time
Support medicines optimisation reviews
Communicate prescribing information across care settings
How to learn it
Learning Resources
Employer/Trust-provided e-prescribing induction training
NHS Digital / NHS England medicines safety and informatics resources
Royal Pharmaceutical Society training on medicines optimisation
Supervised practice under a qualified prescriber during clinical placements
Pro Tip
Never override a drug-interaction or allergy alert without documenting your clinical reasoning — it's both a safety discipline and an expectation in most Trusts' prescribing audits.
Skills that use this tool
Roles that use this tool