Electronic Repeat Dispensing - making it work

In the NHS in England over 1 billion prescription items are prescribed and dispensed each year. This places an enormous workload on practices, patients and pharmacies. Electronic repeat dispensing is sometimes known as batch prescribing, but it is different to electronic prescribing, managed repeats or usual repeat prescriptions because the GP has authorised up to a years’ worth of medications to be collected regularly from the pharmacy. Electronic repeat dispensing, also known as eRD has been proven to reduce the workload and improve both medication safety and patient experience. We asked two GPs and a pharmacist to explain why they made the change to eRD and how everyone has benefitted from it.