Electronic Record Keeping (ERK) represents one of the most significant administrative reforms for community pharmacy in many years. It is a practical step towards reducing unnecessary paperwork, modernising pharmacy operations and supporting the wider digitalisation of healthcare.
In the May edition of the IPU Review, we outlined the new legislation, the role of the Electronic Record Keeping Implementation Group (ERKIG), and the journey that has brought community pharmacy to this point.
This article focuses on the next stage: what ERK means in practice, what pharmacies should expect over the coming months, and how pharmacy owners and teams can begin preparing for the transition to digital workflows.
The 2026 amendments to the Medicinal Products, Misuse of Drugs, and Regulation of Retail Pharmacy Businesses Regulations provide the legal basis for certain pharmacy records to be maintained electronically.
In practical terms, this means that prescriptions received through the national electronic prescription transfer system, such as Healthmail or the High-Tech Hub, may be retained electronically rather than printed, provided the relevant requirements are met.
The legislation also permits:
These changes represent an important shift away from mandatory paper-based record keeping and towards modern digital workflows.
However, it is important to understand that while the legislation enables ERK, it does not mean pharmacies can immediately stop printing prescriptions or move entirely to digital processes.
Today, many pharmacies already operate in a partially digital environment.
Prescriptions are frequently received electronically through Healthmail. Patient Medication Records (PMRs) are maintained electronically. Claims are submitted electronically. Clinical services increasingly rely on digital systems.
However, despite this digital infrastructure, paper continues to play a significant role in pharmacy record keeping.
Pharmacies currently:
ERK provides an opportunity to reduce this administrative burden and move towards workflows where electronic records become the primary record in defined circumstances.
Over time, this should reduce duplication, simplify record management, improve retrieval of information and support more efficient pharmacy operations.
Before pharmacies can adopt ERK workflows, pharmacy software systems must first be updated to support the legislative and regulatory requirements.
This includes functionality relating to:
The legislation and PSI guidance place responsibility on pharmacy owners to ensure that systems used for ERK support the relevant requirements. The IPU recognises that it would not be practical or efficient for individual pharmacies to assess complex software functionality themselves.
For that reason, work is progressing on a structured implementation validation process designed to provide confidence that pharmacy systems support the agreed ERK requirements before pharmacies adopt fully electronic workflows.
Further information on this process will be made available as the work progresses.
One of the most important messages for pharmacy owners is that ERK is not simply about ‘switching off printing’. It is about transitioning to managed digital workflows.
In a paper-based environment, many controls and processes are naturally supported by the movement of physical documents through the pharmacy. In a digital environment, those controls must instead be supported by:
Success will depend on ensuring that technology, workflow and professional practice work together effectively.
Although pharmacies do not need to move immediately to ERK from the commencement date, there are a number of practical areas that can be reviewed now.
Electronic Record Keeping places greater emphasis on auditability and accountability within pharmacy systems. As electronic records become the primary record, it will be important that actions recorded within the system can be attributed to the individual who performed them.
For pharmacies wishing to adopt ERK, individual user accounts and appropriate access controls will form a key part of the required governance and audit framework. Shared logins and shared credentials can undermine audit trails and make it difficult to identify who performed specific actions within the system.
Pharmacies should therefore review current user account arrangements and discuss with their pharmacy system vendor how individual user accounts, role-based permissions, pharmacist identification, and the management of locum and temporary staff are supported within their system.
This may require changes to current practices in some pharmacies, particularly where shared credentials are currently used. However, robust user access controls will be an important foundation for safe and effective electronic record keeping.
As pharmacies become increasingly reliant on electronic records, information security becomes more important.
Pharmacies should review password practices, user account management, access for temporary staff, and procedures for creating and removing accounts when staff join or leave.
Strong security practices help protect patient confidentiality, maintain the integrity of electronic records, and support compliance with information governance requirements.
Digital workflows rely on staff being able to access information efficiently and safely.
Pharmacies may wish to consider whether their current workstation arrangements support digital workflows effectively. In some cases, larger monitors, dual-screen configurations or additional terminals within the dispensary may improve:
The objective is not simply to replace paper with a screen, but to ensure electronic information is available where it is needed throughout the dispensing and checking process.
As more information is accessed and viewed electronically, pharmacies should consider how patient information is displayed within the dispensary and whether it may be visible to patients, visitors or other unauthorised individuals.
Simple measures such as appropriate screen positioning, privacy screens and screen-locking procedures can help protect patient confidentiality while supporting efficient digital workflows.
Healthmail will remain a key component of electronic prescription workflows. However, the way prescriptions are managed may vary between pharmacy systems. Some systems may provide direct integration with Healthmail, while others may continue to use attachment-based workflows.
Pharmacies should engage with their vendors to understand:
ERK is not simply a technology change; it is a change in how pharmacy workflows operate.
Pharmacies should review how prescriptions move through the dispensary and whether existing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) reflect both current practice and future digital workflows. Particular attention should be given to prescription processing, checking procedures, Healthmail workflows, user access management, locum arrangements and inspection readiness.
Working with pharmacy teams and system vendors during this review can help ensure that digital workflows are both safe and practical to implement.
One of the most important steps pharmacies can take in preparing for ERK is to engage with their pharmacy system vendor.
Successful implementation will depend not only on software updates, but also on system configuration, workflow design, training and ongoing support. Pharmacies should understand their vendor’s plans, expected timelines and any actions required before adopting electronic workflows.
As ERK is as much an operational change as a technology change, close collaboration between pharmacies and vendors will be essential to ensure systems, workflows and staff practices align to support safe and effective implementation.
It is important to remember that ERK primarily relates to prescriptions received electronically through the national electronic prescription transfer system, such as Healthmail and the High-Tech Hub.
Paper prescriptions will continue to follow the existing paper-based route and must continue to be endorsed and managed in accordance with the legislative and regulatory requirements.
In addition, from 30 June 2026, when the legislation comes into effect, there will be a new requirement to endorse paper prescriptions with the registration number of the pharmacist who dispensed the prescription.
For many pharmacies, this means hybrid workflows will remain in place for some time, with electronic and paper prescription processes operating alongside one another. Understanding when ERK can be applied, and when traditional paper-based processes remain necessary, will be an important part of successful implementation.
The IPU is currently developing a range of supports to assist members with the implementation of ERK. These will include:
A dedicated ERK resource area will be available at ipu/erk. Members are encouraged to check this page regularly as additional resources become available.
Electronic Record Keeping is an important step towards a more modern and digitally enabled pharmacy sector.
It will reduce unnecessary paper handling, support more efficient workflows and help prepare community pharmacy for future developments such as enhanced interoperability, shared care records and, ultimately, electronic prescribing.
However, successful implementation will depend on getting the foundations right. That means:
The IPU will continue to work closely with pharmacy owners, vendors, regulators and policymakers to support this transition and ensure that ERK is implemented in a way that is safe, practical and works for community pharmacy. The move to ERK is not simply about replacing paper. It is about building the foundations for the next phase of digital pharmacy practice.
See May IPU Review for an article on Electronic Record Keeping, which examines the new legislation, the role of the Electronic Record Keeping Implementation Group (ERKIG), and the journey that has brought community pharmacy to this point.
A dedicated Electronic Record Keeping resource area will be available at ipu.ie/erk.
Alan Reilly
Head of Information and Digital Strategy
Highlighted Articles
