Learning from Practice: How East Lancashire Hospitals' Pharmacy Service Has Embraced Information Technology.

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy Practice
• Health Informatics
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• The East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust (ELHT) pharmacy service operates under a philosophy of continuous improvement.
• The Trust lacks a comprehensive electronic patient record (ePR) or electronic prescribing and medicines administration (ePMA) system, with the exception of chemotherapy prescribing.
• Despite the absence of a unified ePR/ePMA, ELHT utilizes various interoperable electronic systems to support pharmacy operations.

Observation:

• The pharmacy team has a decade-long history of implementing technological innovations.
• Successful innovation requires a synergistic combination of technology and human expertise.
• Individual technological elements are not revolutionary but collectively contribute to service enhancement.

Findings:

• The integration of multiple electronic systems facilitates pharmacy workflow.
• Interoperability between systems is key to overcoming the lack of a unified ePR/ePMA.
• The combined efforts have led to the development of a dedicated ward pharmacy service.

Implications:

• The ELHT model demonstrates that significant service improvements are achievable even without a full ePR/ePMA.
• The findings highlight the importance of a strategic approach to integrating existing technologies.
• This case study offers valuable insights for other healthcare organizations seeking to optimize pharmacy services through technology adoption.