Patient safety and prescription administration

Safe prescription processing begins with the correct patient record, appropriate consent and a clear understanding of what has been requested. The course refreshes these foundations before moving into more advanced SystmOne functions.

Managing repeat prescriptions in SystmOne

Learners develop greater familiarity with the repeat prescription screen and the options used when managing medication electronically. This includes understanding relevant SystmOne functions, electronic prescription settings and the administrative processes surrounding different types of repeat issues.

The course also introduces shorter-interval and future-dated prescription arrangements where these have been requested by an authorised clinician.

Medication alignment and previous repeat items

Patients can sometimes end up requesting different medicines at different points throughout the month. Medication alignment is explored as a way of bringing suitable repeat items onto a more consistent schedule, alongside the documentation needed to record changes clearly.

Learners are also shown how previous repeat items can be reviewed within SystmOne when a clinician has authorised a medicine to be restarted, helping avoid unnecessary duplication of existing medication records.

Pharmacies, suppliers and electronic prescriptions

The course looks at pharmacy nominations and dispensing appliance suppliers, including circumstances where a patient may need a prescription sent to a different dispenser on a one-off basis.

This sits within the wider Electronic Prescription Service (EPS) workflow, which allows prescriptions to be transmitted electronically to a patient’s nominated dispenser. Current NHS guidance confirms that patients may nominate a pharmacy, dispensing appliance contractor and, where applicable, a dispensing doctor.

More complex prescription requests

The final part introduces administrative handling of less routine acute prescription requests, including examples involving preconfigured medication groups within SystmOne

These examples reinforce an important principle throughout the course: medication decisions remain with appropriately qualified clinicians, while prescription clerks and administrators should work within their authorised role and local procedures.

Assessment and certification

At the end of the course, you will complete an assessment to demonstrate your understanding of the topics covered. You will need to achieve a result of 80% or higher to pass.

On successful completion, you will receive a free CPD-accredited certificate, which can be downloaded or printed as evidence of your professional development.

Professional responsibility and scope

This is an intermediate prescription administration course, not a prescribing qualification. It supports staff who process medication requests on behalf of appropriately qualified prescribers.

• Competency should be assessed within your workplace
• Practice should align with local protocols, current guidance, and professional standards
• You are responsible for applying learning appropriately within your role
• Medication initiation, clinical review and prescribing decisions remain the responsibility of an authorised prescriber
• Administrative staff should only amend or process medication where their role and local protocol permit it
• Clinician instructions should be clear before changes are made to medication records or prescription schedules
• Controlled drugs and other higher-risk medicines may require additional local procedures
• Current formulary, prescribing and medicines-management guidance should always take precedence
• SystmOne configurations and staff permissions vary between organisations