Electronic prescriptions have become the default method for prescribing and dispensing in primary care in England, new figures from NHS Digital have confirmed.
The number of items issued electronically to community pharmacies has almost doubled in the past five years – from 532 million in 2016-17 to 996 million in 2021-22, NHS Digital said. In the latest year, 95% of items were prescribed and dispensed via the electronic prescription service (EPS).