Prescription Management

Prescription Management for Healthcare Professionals

HealthNet provides a safe, transparent and increasingly digital prescription management process to support Healthcare Professionals (HCPs) and ensure patients receive their medicines quickly, accurately and securely.

This page outlines all current prescription submission routes, how each one works, and the journey a prescription takes once it reaches our pharmacy teams.

We have also included future developments, including the upcoming Clinician Gateway prescription upload functionality and NHS-wide programmes such as EPS for Homecare, which are in early pilot stages.

Submitting Prescriptions

Healthcare professionals can send prescriptions to HealthNet in several ways. Each option is secure, compliant and fully traceable.

1. Clinician Gateway Upload (Coming Soon)

We are launching a major new feature within the Clinician Gateway, allowing users to upload prescriptions directly.

Pilot timeline:

  • Pilot begins April 2026

  • Six initial sites, covering ~2,000 prescriptions

  • Functionality can be switched on/off per Trust

Why it matters:

  • Faster, safer, more visible than email or post

  • Removes reliance on paper and reduces turnaround times

 2. Electronic Prescription Signing (eSign Hub)

  • Fast, secure and NCHA-approved

  • Fully digital workflow for both prescribers and pharmacy

  • Reduces delays associated with paper

  • Built-in audit trail and signature verification

3. Urgent Email Submissions

For urgent cases only, HCPs may email a scanned or photographed prescription.

  • Used when treatment cannot be delayed

  • Must be followed by the original prescription for archiving unless the Trust has a signed agreement to retain originals

4. Paper Prescriptions (Posted In)

Paper prescriptions can be posted to either pharmacy:

  • Featherstone (West Yorkshire)

  • Swadlincote (Derbyshire)

On arrival prescriptions are:

  • Logged, scanned and digitised into the Document Management System (DMS)

  • Linked to the patient’s Pharmacy Medication Record (PMR)

  • Creates a complete audit trail

NOTE: Trusts may choose to retain originals themselves if a signed agreement is in place confirming they will store them securely for two years.

NCHA Position Statement

Future Prescription Management Option: EPS for Homecare (Early Development)

HealthNet is actively participating in national discussions and early-stage pilots for enabling EPS (Electronic Prescription Service) within Homecare. 

We will publish updates once national guidance is confirmed. Find out more here [link to news page when live]

The Prescription Journey

Regardless of how a prescription is received, once it enters our system the process is consistent, governed and secure.

1. Receipt & Digital Capture

  • Paper prescriptions scanned into DMS

  • Electronic files uploaded directly into the PMR

  • Full audit trail across pharmacy teams

2. Clinical Review by a Specialist Pharmacist

Each prescription is assessed for:

  • Clinical appropriateness

  • Correct dose, strength, quantity

  • Legality (signed, dated, named prescriber, full medicine details)

  • Alignment with the patient’s treatment plan

Only valid prescriptions progress to the next step.

3. Order Creation & Patient Booking Options

Our Prescription Management Team creates orders within our system, after which the patient can book delivery using:

4. Dispensing & Final Accuracy Checks

The day before delivery:

Dispensary Team

  • Assembles medicines and all required ancillaries

Accuracy Checking Technician (ACT)

Completes 8 safety checks:

  • Right Patient

  • Right Product

  • Right Form

  • Right Dose

  • Right Quantity

  • Right Ancillaries

  • Right Address

  • Right Date

5. Packing & Warehouse Transfer

  • Tamper-evident packaging applied

  • Temperature-control materials added as required

  • Transferred to warehouse for dispatch

6. Delivery & Temperature-Controlled Transport

Delivered via:

  • LF&E Refrigerated Transport

  • Royal Mail (location dependent)

Delivery Features:

  • 2-hour SMS time window (LF&E)

  • Overnight trunking & sortation to regional depots

  • Dual-chamber vans maintain ambient & chilled temperatures

Why This Process Matters

For Healthcare Professionals, our prescription management ensures:

  • Full traceability from prescription to delivery

  • Robust clinical governance

  • Reduced delays and fewer errors

  • Multiple options for prescription submission

  • Clear future roadmap toward fully digital solutions

Need Support?

If you have questions about prescription submission or would like access to the new Clinician Gateway Prescription Upload functionality (once available), please contact:

client.services@healthnethomecare.co.uk

Our teams are here to support you and your patients.