HSC Health

Electronic Prescribing and medicines administration (EPMA)

Name: The Access Group
Brand: The Access Group
Rating: 4.6 (4711 reviews)

Our ePMA software is for electronic prescribing and medicine administration. The module enables trusts to manage prescriptions and medications digitally and ensure that patients receive the correct medication at the right time. It gives clear information on missed doses, and issues can be escalated automatically.

ePMA supports all prescribers, including doctors, nurses, and independent practitioners: Electronic prescribing is an essential part of safe healthcare delivery, which otherwise can result in wasted medicines, multimillion-pound litigation claims and, at the very worst, patient deaths.

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Benefits of ePMA software

Increase safety and efficiency

The ePMA system is regularly updated to ensure the most up-to-date licensed medication and appliances are available for prescription. This makes it easy to include prescription details in discharge letters, so GPs and other healthcare providers can make informed decisions about the patient’s future care.
The ePMA module helps improve prescriptions' efficiency and safety by ensuring the correct information is always available, preventing duplication or misinterpretation.

Strengthen processes and practice

Patients have just one overarching record, so their prescription and administration record stay with them as they move across the healthcare organisation.
You can ensure that the correct patient information is always available, preventing users from duplicating or misinterpreting it.
Prescribers select the medicinal product and denote the dose and frequency. These details are available for a pharmacist to follow or suggest amendments (which are returned to the prescriber for approval).
If a patient is admitted to a hospital or needs treatment in a community setting, the right medication can easily be available in the required timeframe.

Improve patient safety and care

ePMA uses the Multilex Drug Datafile from First Databank. It is updated at least every month to ensure the most up-to-date licensed medications and appliances are available for prescription.
Even if a patient’s prescribed medicines are suspended or discontinued, the details stay visible on their ePMA record to give a holistic view of their treatment so far.
The system also makes it very easy to include prescription details in discharge letters so that GPs and other healthcare providers can make informed decisions about the patient’s future care.
Access to important and often life-critical information within the ward, back office and at the patient’s bedside is key to supporting and ultimately improving patient care. ePMA helps healthcare professionals provide a better level of care.

Saves money

From reduced waste: ePMA systems in hospitals, doctors’ surgeries, and other healthcare establishments help reduce pharmaceutical waste enormously. A report in 2015 estimated that the UK’s national figure for pharmaceutical waste was at least £300 million.
From delayed discharges: Medication prescriptions are a contributing factor to delays, either on admission, treatment changes or on discharge. ePMA populates all relevant records automatically, so there is a complete picture for GPs, community nurses and social care providers to support efficient processes that save time and money.

Accurate, joined-up systems

Joined-up systems:Patients have an overarching record, so their prescription and administration records stay with them as they move across the healthcare organisation.
Accurate systems to support patient safety, save time and reduce risk: Healthcare professionals can prescribe with greater accuracy, save time, avoid duplication, and prevent mistakes that could put a person’s life at risk

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Medication Lookup

Clinicians can access decision support, for example, the First Databank Multilex lookup and the default dosages of specific drugs.

Prescription Updates

Nurses benefit from clear medication administration records and prescription updates immediately available.

Prescription Production

Simplifies the production of prescriptions and supports the timely supply of medicines to wards, with a holistic view of a patient.

Permission Levels

Independent prescribers are allocated access and permissions according to their skill level. ePMA automatically checks for details of allergies, contradictions, and diagnoses and warns the prescriber. in every instance.

Electronic Prescriptions

Configure formularies to help prescribers select appropriate medication. Pharmacies can verify prescriptions electronically.

Easy Discharge Details

Discharge details can be produced quickly and easily.

Business Continuity

Includes a business continuity module supporting clinical practitioners with medicine administration tasks should the primary EPR system become available.

Optimise your healthcare with Access EPMA software

Electronic prescribing and medicines administration (EPMA) is a must-have in modern healthcare, allowing care providers to increase safety and efficiency through better data quality and better communication.

Our ePMA solution manages prescriptions and medications in one centralised record, with a detailed history that even includes discontinued or suspended medicines. Track administration types, times, missed doses, and flag up potential clashes between medications.

Our goal is to provide a holistic view of a patient’s treatment history to ensure the best possible care decisions going forward and to avoid wasted medicine and to protect patients from the harm that can come from human error in a healthcare sector that is busier than ever.

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How Somerset Partnership NHS Foundation Trust is delivering safer, paper-free prescribing across Somerset

Somerset Partnership NHS Foundation Trust serves a large, rural county spanning 13 community hospitals, nine mental health wards, and seven minor injury units. Staff working across these settings rely on Access ePMA to improve the efficiency and safety of prescriptions, ensuring the correct information is always available at the point of care.

The ePMA module sits within a centralised Electronic Patient Record accessible across the Trust's community and mental health services, with clinical staff able to create, access, and update records at the point of care on any device. The result is one clear picture of each patient's medication history, reducing the clinical risk that comes from misinterpretation or duplication.

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Part of a connected clinical ecosystem

Access ePMA works alongside other Rio EPR modules to give clinical teams a complete, joined-up picture of patient care. When used alongside Order Communications software, trusts can manage pathology and radiology requests, track test progress, and access results within the same integrated record. This joined-up approach reduces duplication, eliminates transcription errors, and helps ensure that prescribing decisions are always informed by the most up-to-date clinical information.

Find out more about Order Communication software Find out more about Rio EPI

We’ve worked with them throughout its clinical systems history, and through our collaborative relationship, we’ve helped to create a robust EPR that spans both community and mental health services. Somerset Partnership is a great example that state-of-the-art working is not just in acute settings, it’s here in community hospitals.

James Marriott, Digital Change Manager Somerset Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

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Discover related articles from The Access Group exploring mental health support, with a particular focus on the NHS 10-Year Plan and how its ambitions will shape the future of health and care services in the UK going forwards.

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The 10-Year Plan

Why Prevention Must Take Priority

NHS 10-Year Plan

What the 10-Year Plan Means for Mental Health Services

Mental Health Act 2025: Key Changes Explained

10 Ways Social Prescribing Can Improve Mental Health

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is ePMA software and how does it work?

Electronic Prescribing and Medicines Administration (ePMA) software replaces paper-based prescribing and medication administration records with a digital system. Clinicians can create, update, and verify prescriptions in real time, with decision support tools, allergy checks, and dosage guidance built in. Administration records are updated immediately, giving all relevant staff a live, accurate view of each patient's medication status.

Who can use Access ePMA?

Access ePMA supports all prescriber types, including doctors, nurses, and independent practitioners. Permission levels are configured according to each clinician's role and skill level, so the right people have access to the right information. The system also supports pharmacy teams, who can verify prescriptions electronically before dispensing.

How does ePMA improve patient safety?

Medication errors are one of the most significant causes of patient harm in NHS settings. Access ePMA reduces that risk by automatically checking for allergies, contraindications, and diagnoses before a prescription is confirmed, and alerting the prescriber where a potential issue is identified. Missed doses are flagged clearly and issues can be escalated automatically, supporting clinical teams to act quickly.

Does Access ePMA integrate with existing EPR systems?

Yes. Access ePMA is designed to work as part of a connected clinical ecosystem. It integrates with Rio EPR and complementary modules including Order Communications, providing a holistic view of a patient's care including test requests, results, and a full medication history covering current, discontinued, and suspended medicines. Discharge details can be generated quickly from within the system, supporting continuity of care between settings.

What happens if the primary system goes down?

Access ePMA includes a business continuity module that supports clinical staff with medicine administration tasks if the primary EPR system becomes unavailable, helping to maintain safe care without interruption.

Is Access ePMA kept up to date with licensed medications?

The system is regularly updated to ensure the most current licensed medications and appliances are available for prescription. It also includes decision support tools such as First Databank Multilex lookup and default dosage guidance, helping prescribers make informed, evidence-based decisions at the point of care.

Can ePMA support discharge planning?

Yes. Discharge details can be produced quickly and accurately from within the system, making it straightforward to include full prescription information in discharge letters. This helps GPs and other community providers make well-informed decisions about a patient's ongoing care.

What cost savings can trusts expect from digital prescribing and order management?

Moving from paper-based to digital prescribing and order management removes a significant administrative burden. Eliminating manual processes such as handwritten requests, paper records, and duplicated data entry reduces the cost of processing across clinical pathways. When ePMA is used as part of a broader digital clinical ecosystem that includes Order Communications, trusts can achieve substantial savings in operational costs over time.