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A million items have been dispensed using the Electronic Prescription Service (EPS) in Wales, the Welsh Government has reported.

EPS first launched in Wales in November 2023 when a prescription was sent by Lakeside Medical Centre in Rhyl to nearby Wellington Road Pharmacy. 

Commenting on the milestone of one million items dispensed that was reached in February, mental health minister Sarah Murphy said: “This digital service is making life easier for patients across Wales while helping our dedicated healthcare professionals work more efficiently. 

“The successful rollout of the Electronic Prescription Service shows how we're harnessing digital technology to improve healthcare services for everyone in Wales." 

A spokesperson for Digital Health and Care Wales said EPS is available “in some communities in every health board,” adding that it is being rolled out to all pharmacies and GP surgeries “as quickly and safely as possible”. 

Laurence James, head of medicines programmes at Digital Health and Care Wales, commented: “Achieving the milestone of one million primary care prescription items dispensed through the EPS is a remarkable success for the digital medicines programme. 

“This represents substantial growth from 860 items in January 2024 to over one million in February 2025, highlighting the rapid adoption and implementation.

“Notably, all community pharmacy PMR systems in Wales have now completed the necessary assurance activities to begin receiving digital prescriptions from GP practices, which will further drive uptake and make the prescribing and dispensing of medicines easier, safer and more efficient through digital.” 

EPS programme oversight chair Jenny Pugh-Janes said her team is “working incredibly hard with primary care colleagues, community pharmacy and software partners to make this vision a reality across Wales”.