Fresh EPS delay warnings for independents

But is EPSr2 close to to working falwlessly 100% of the time yet ? Also the question again has to be asked .....apart from more work, more problems and more expense what does it have to offer to front line pharmacy?

I too would urge that contractors follow the PSNC advice about a cautious roll-out. Latest info is that EMIS were trying to rollout EPS R2 software to over 1,000 GP surgeries within about a 6 month period and after about 100 halted the process because other issues caused by the new software arose in those surgeries. Until those other issues are resolved I don’t think EMIS GP surgeries will want anything to do with EPS R2.
The “collecting nominations” tactic espoused by pharmacy systems providers is a red herring. If a pharmacy contractor is providing a good enough service to their patients using EPS R1, do you really think there will be a wholesale shift of patients to a competitor “up the road” just because they happen to be EPS R2 ready, but not receiving any EPS R2 scripts. That will more than likely annoy patients who make the change from one contractor to the next.
Don’t get me wrong, I think the benefits over time of using EPS R2 will outweigh any perceived negatives. But this rush to roll out systems by pharmacy systems suppliers is uncomfortable to me, and I can only think they want a return on their considerable investment – hang the cost to contractors (don’t think the £1,000 cherry will cover all the costs in making the switch – it won’t, especially if the staff need to go through a lot of refresher training once their local surgeries ever get around to supplying EPS R2 scripts), and the annoyance to any patients who change which pharmacy they use on the basis of them having an EPS R2 ready system.

And just one further question. To date how many millions of pounds of taxpayers money have been spent (wasted?) on this poorly conceived project?