The Benefits in and Barriers towards the Implementation of Electronic Transfer of Prescriptions within the United Kingdom National Health Service

This paper contains the results of a study into the benefits and barriers in implementing a system for the Electronic Transmission of Prescriptions (ETP) in the UK National Health Service (NHS). The study involved a review and critical appraisal of most of the available literature on the topic, as well as field research by the authors, and by colleagues at a neighbouring university. The authors have found there to be nine significant benefits that stakeholders should realise from the implementation of a successful ETP system. On the reverse side there are nine important barriers towards the successful implementation of ETP that need to be overcome. Dissemination of these results should provide a useful stepping stone to the successful implementation of ETP in the UK NHS.