Technologies that transform: digital solutions for optimising medicines use in the NHS

摘要

Evidence suggests that technologies that handle information on medications may improve patient safety, increase service efficiency and contribute to the provision of high-quality patient care in the National Health Service (NHS), depending on their design and configuration for use by health providers. However, these systems also have the potential to contribute to transformation of the way in which services are provided across the NHS and to enable new ways of working and new professional roles. The effective use of medicines in healthcare is dependent on the efficacy and safety of the medicines management process across the entire NHS. This would encompass prescribing, dispensing and administration of medicines in all settings, and the transfer of medicines—and information about them—across care settings. Transfers of care would include the hospital discharge process, medicines reconciliation on admission to hospital, and the complete and accurate transfer of medication-related history and recommendations at points of referral.