Pharmacists claim EPS two switch is 'problematic'

Before we sign up to the ETP agreement i think we as independents need to be made aware that we are signing up to a minimum of a 3 year N3 deal with our system supplier. This is at a cost of £180 a month, per shop, and if we are to change our system supplier (or indeed our wholesaler) we will not automatically be able carry our N3 connection over to the new supplier We are therefore left paying for two connections while only been reimbursed for one by the NHS.

This has certainly made me think very carefully before signing on the dotted line on such a deal, even though the system suppliers are very keen to sign me up.

If we could have much clearer information about which systems are interchangeable and the cost of exit at any stage, i for one would be much more ready to sign up !!

Looking at the map of EPS release 2 enabled pharmacies as part of an IT course I was following for some CPD, I noticed in West Yorkshire a veritable rash of pharmacies that appeared to have release 2. However, the numbers of GP surgeries that can provide EPS 2 were but a pimple on the map.
Reading the material on the "Connected for Health" website, I got the impression that rel.2 was "all singing and all dancing" and would improve the public's health, and I still believe this to be the case, but the above article seems to imply that all is not as it should be.
I have said in letters and articles here in C+D and elsewhere that EPS would not work as designed, and the above piece, and my own researches seem to prove that I was not wasting my breath.
Regards
Bob Dunkley

It is obvious Martin Jones did not read my comments in reference to the article in C&D earlier “Fresh EPS delay warning for independents” or he would not still be espousing the same old drivel about what GP system suppliers are going to deliver shortly. If my comments were inaccurate I was expecting a torrent of abuse from different system suppliers be they GP or Pharmacy. The deafening silent from both sets of suppliers and anyone from CfH indeed tells its own story.

Here is my response Martin, in case you would like to comment:

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.

I too would urge caution before signing up to EPSr2. I still think that there are still many problems and flaws within the EPRr2 that have been glossed over by CfH and the suppliers for their own reasons leaving us to find them the hard way.

Take for example (abuse of) the nomination process. If you are close to a surgery with an in house pharmacy that the GPs have a finacial stake in you could find several regular patients nominating that phamacy after their annual review. How can you stop that?

If you don't upgrade to EPS-R2 then the in-house pharmacy will have a clear run.
Yes the CfH system design is awful but we have no choice but to work with it or give up on community pharmacy