Over the next few years, the Connecting for Health IT programme for the NHS in England is due to implement electronic prescribing systems at all hospitals in England. Furthermore, the other UK countries are likely to follow suit with clinical IT implementation programmes, and these developments will generate interest in electronic prescribing at European and international level. There is therefore likely to be an exponential growth in the significance of electronic prescribing over the next ten years. Principles of Electronic Prescribing discusses the basic principles of design and implementation of secondary care electronic medicines management systems, and how their design and configuration can impact on benefits realization, hospital workflow and clinical practice.

There is now considerable experience of implementing electronic prescribing systems in hospitals in the United States, the United Kingdom and other healthcare economies, with clear evidence that a well-designed electronic prescribing system can improve patient safety and quality of care. There is therefore likely to be an exponential growth in the significance of electronic prescribing over the next ten years.

 

This second edition of Principles of Electronic Prescribing discusses the basic principles of design and implementation of secondary care electronic medicines management systems, and how their design and configuration can impact on benefits realization, hospital workflow and clinical practice. It will therefore be of considerable interest to all involved in the management of these systems, from healthcare administrators to pharmacists to the clinicians prescribing these medicines.