Hundreds of thousands of patients can now reduce pressure on around 1,400 GP practices by ordering repeat prescriptions via digital television.
Primary care systems provider EMIS has added its online service to DigiTV’s Looking Local portal to complement its current patient management of GP appointments via digital TV.
It is hoped that the new service will give GPs more time as 70% of their prescribing burden is made up of repeat prescriptions.
Steve Langrick, Business Strategy and Access manager at Kirklees Council with responsibility for Looking Local said: “Offering repeat prescriptions to complement GP appointments was a natural step towards extending our health-related services.”
Once registered patients can request the prescription, track the application and status of their request and use a message facility to contact their doctor with any queries.
The Kakoty Practice in Barnsley was one of the first in the UK to introduce GP appointment booking via digital interactive television.
Dr Prakash Kakoty said: “The system has delivered many benefits to the practice and, of course, to patients, for whom it offers the ultimate in convenience.
“Extending the service to include repeat prescriptions is a fantastic development, especially for patients coping with long-term conditions that require constant medication.”
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