Overview
Better and Speeds Healthcare have reached an agreement to implement the Better Meds electronic prescribing and medicines administration (ePMA) solution across 55 mental health facilities in the UK.
Key Features of the Rollout
- Transition from manual recording on paper to electronic prescribing and medicine management.
- Incorporation of clinical decision support to enhance patient safety.
- Over 2,000 users will migrate from paper systems to secure electronic records in the first phase.
Statements from Leadership
Peter Bradshawe, CEO of Speeds Healthcare, stated:
“Better’s platform will enable our clients to deploy clinical skills more effectively — helping staff to focus more time on care for patients and introduce better safeguards through intelligent digital workflows.”
He emphasized that this change will redefine interactions between pharmacists, healthcare professionals, and patients, leading to more clinically-led services.
Implementation Timeline
The rollout will occur in three phases:
- Phase one is set to go live in October 2025.
- Subsequent phases will follow, aiming for full implementation by the end of 2026.
Benefits of the New System
The Better Meds solution aims to:
- Enhance patient safety by replacing manual checks with automated prompts.
- Allow nurses to dedicate more time to patient care rather than administrative tasks.
- Standardize medicine management across all wards.
- Optimize stock management by automatically generating medicine orders.
Comments from Better’s Sales Director
Brian Murray, Sales Director UK & Ireland at Better, remarked:
“This is a major partnership for Better Meds as it marks our first step into the UK independent healthcare sector. We are keen to support Speeds Healthcare with seamless medication management processes that are safer for patients and more efficient for healthcare professionals.”
Conclusion
The implementation of the Better Meds system is expected to significantly improve the efficiency of medication management in mental health settings, ultimately enhancing patient care and safety.