The Electronic Prescription Service, which enables prescriptions to be transferred electronically between GPs and pharmacies, is now available in seven out of 10 of pharmacies in Wales.

EPS replaces paper prescriptions and is designed to make the process of prescribing and dispensing medicines more efficient for GPs and pharmacists.

It is part of Wales' rapidly expanding Digital Medicines Programme, which includes rolling out electronic prescribing systems in every hospital in Wales and further upgrades to the NHS Wales App to enable people to see when their prescriptions are ready to collect.

Speaking at the Pharmacy: Delivering a Healthier Wales conference in Cardiff, Health Secretary Jeremy Miles said more than a million prescriptions are transferred electronically between GPs and pharmacies every month, representing a major step forward in healthcare digitalisation.

The Welsh Government has committed to bringing forward the full rollout of EPS to November 2026.

The digital transformation comes alongside a significant expansion in pharmacy services.

Pharmacies provided nearly 500,000 common ailment consultations last year, with the range of illnesses able to be treated at pharmacies being expanded.

Since June, pharmacies have been able to provide testing, advice and, where needed, antibiotics for throat infections.

More than 40 per cent of community pharmacies now have a pharmacist who can prescribe treatment for a range of other conditions like ear or skin infections, meaning many more people will no longer need to visit their GP.

The Welsh Government has invested £1.4m to transform the pharmacy estate over the last two years, helping pharmacies to install new consultation rooms, time-saving automation and medicines collection points.

Alongside the developments in community and hospital pharmacy, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society has been commissioned to review the role of pharmacy professionals working in GP practices.

The work will start this autumn and feedback is expected in spring.