Electronic Prescribing Analysis and Cost Tool (ePACT.net) Hospital Pilot

"A service which makes out patient prescription data available electronically using a combination of Internet technology and the NHS Prescribing Database held by the Prescription Pricing Authority."

The PPA has developed an electronic analysis tool to assist Trusts in the analysis of their prescriptions written on FP10 HP prescription forms, which are dispensed by Community Pharmacists. PPA held data becomes available electronically 6 weeks after the end of the dispensing month instead of the 15 weeks it takes to produce the paper reports.

A Pilot of the new service has been running successfully since February 2002 with a number of NHS Trusts.

Users of the system at the Pilot Trusts have included both pharmaceutical and finance staff as the system is used for financial and performance management purposes. Feedback from the Pilot Trusts confirms that this new service has proved useful in both of these areas.

ePACT.net service for Hospitals is delivered over NHS.Net and accessed via the PPA Website (www.ppa.nhs.uk). It allows users real time on-line access to the data held on the NHS Prescribing Database.

It provides the facility to accrue up to three years of data. The system provides both prescribing and dispensing information at Speciality level within Trust.

The system allows users to easily create their own graphs and reports from an extensive range of data and also provides a set of pre-defined graphs and reports.

Data can be selected according to:

• reporting period (ie month, quarter, year);
  
• prescribing organisation (e.g. Speciality, NHS Trust);
  
• BNF classification (chapter to presentation level).

The data available includes:

• Prescribing Information
  
  • Net Ingredient Cost
    
  • Actual Cost
    
  • Quantity
    
    
• Dispensing Information
  
  • Dispenser details
    
  • Dispensing Fees
    
  • On cost discount
    
  • Patient Charges

A 'tagging' facility for specific requests is available. The selection of data can be grouped by Speciality (e.g. Adult Mental Health, A&E) or specific BNF categories (e.g. specialist drugs). BNF tags can be shared between users. This data can also be displayed in tabular and graphical format.

Query results can be saved to disk or exported to other PC applications.

To access the system, users require a PC with Internet Explorer and connection to the NHS.Net.

Additional Pilots

The PPA is extending the number of Trusts involved in the Pilot. If you wish to be considered for inclusion as a Pilot Trust and would like an information pack, please contact the PPA Helpdesk on 0191 2035050 or