Whether ensuring the right medication is given at the right time or reducing avoidable harm, timely and accurate medicines information is critical to high-quality care.
Medicines and medical devices are one of the largest areas of NHS spending, with an estimated cost of over £20 billion in 2023/24,1 and affect nearly every part of the health and care system.
To improve population health and deliver better value for taxpayers, the NHS must enhance how medicines are prescribed, managed, and monitored. This is why interoperability, which is the ability of systems to share data seamlessly, is no longer just a technical ambition. It is a clinical, operational, and strategic necessity.
“Interoperability is now a clinical and operational priority for the NHS. When medicines data flows securely and seamlessly across systems, healthcare professionals can make faster, safer decisions. At BD, we are proud to support NHS organisations in unlocking the full value of their digital infrastructure.
"Our collaboration with System C was a key step in helping Trusts quantify the impact of interoperability across EPMA and wider medicines management workflows supported by automated dispensing systems like the BD Pyxis™,” commented Nancy West, MMS Business Leader, BD UK & Ireland
“This partnership shows how suppliers can collaborate effectively to deliver real improvements for the NHS and the patients it supports. At System C, we’re focused on delivering measurable value — ensuring every solution brings both cash and non-cash releasing benefits. Our work with BD is a clear example of that in action,” added Guy Lucchi, Managing Director Healthcare, System C.
Interoperability supports key NHS priorities, from digitising services to enabling safer, more personalised care. Yet many Trusts struggle to quantify and communicate the value of interoperability, particularly where benefits span multiple departments or care settings.
To address this, the Automating 4 Better Care (A4BC) Forum System C and BD to develop a Benefits Framework for Medicines Interoperability. We’re pleased to share that this tool is now available here, with a foreword by the A4BC Forum co-chairs. This practical tool helps NHS leaders build the case for investment and track impact across the medicines pathway.
“The hardest steps for any change are always the first - the tool helps with the start of the journey towards integrating automation, using EPS and sharing medicines information in daily practice, providing the insight to understand the degree of impact that implementation may provide. It is a great first step to underpin internal discussions and support the generation of business cases,” said Ann Slee, Health IT and ePrescribing specialist.
BD is inviting clinicians to explore the framework, test it locally, and help refine it, so that all patients benefit from safer, smarter, and more connected care.
The tool can be found here: https://a4bc.org.uk/resources/
Reference:
1. NHS Business Service Authority - https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/statistical-collections/prescribing-costs-hospitals-and-community-england/prescribing-costs-hospitals-and-community-england-2023-24 (last accessed 23.10.2025)
