Transforming community prescribing through innovation

As the NHS places an increasing focus on strengthening primary care and enhancing community-based prescribing, it is up to digital providers to make sure that pharmacists have the tools they need to make their lives easier.

CLEO Systems is focused on using the digital prescribing revolution to support pharmacists and other clinicians. With 25% of the electronic prescription solution (EPS) market, CLEO SOLO EPS is helping to change how prescriptions are processed and delivered: alleviating pressure on general practice streamlining patient access and reducing demand on secondary care services.

As part of a social enterprise, IC24, CLEO Systems continues to demonstrate the benefits of agile and effective digital innovation in urgent and primary care.

CLEO SOLO EPS is a key part of this work: replacing paper-based FP10s, enabling prescribers to send digital prescriptions directly to a pharmacy of the patient’s choice and allowing for a seamless, secure and efficient prescribing experience.

CLEO SOLO EPS has been rapidly implemented across 25 NHS Trusts, including Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (MPFT), and Hampshire and Isle of Wight NHS Foundation Trust (HIOWH). During the MPFT pilot, estimated cost savings included approximately 7,000 miles avoided and 15 days of travel time for clinicians saved.

At HIOWH, 19,500 prescriptions were processed electronically from August 2023 to March 2025. It was estimated that 67 days were saved in raising prescriptions and 67 days saved in administrative processes.

These organisations are embracing technology that prioritises patient care and clinical efficiency. Implementation has been impressively swift, without compromising quality or safety.

At its core, CLEO SOLO EPS enhances safety, compliance and responsiveness in real-time clinical environments.

CLEO Systems is also part of the NHS Pathfinder pilot programme with around 200 community pharmacies in England, further cementing its role in shaping the future of digital prescribing across the UK. These developments reflect a wider commitment to scalable, interoperable digital health tools that can be deployed quickly and effectively to meet the evolving needs of the NHS.

By enabling clinicians to send FP10 prescriptions electronically to community pharmacists and bypass the traditional reliance on paper and manual processes, the risk of duplication or delay is removed, significantly reducing the administrative burden on frontline staff.

Clinicians and pharmacists, in turn, are able to focus more on patient care and clinical decision-making, rather than the logistics of chasing down paper prescriptions.

The system directly supports NHS ambitions to decentralise care: shifting prescribing and dispensing away from hospital settings and closer to patients’ homes. This approach enhances continuity of care, improves access and brings about important cost savings for overstretched services.

CLEO’s rapid implementation model has made it a strong partner for NHS Trusts looking to accelerate their digital transformation agendas.

For senior pharmacists, many of whom are tasked with leading innovation in medicines management, CLEO EPS represents a rare and valuable solution that delivers immediate, measurable benefits.

By enabling fast, secure prescribing in real time, CLEO EPS is reshaping how and where care happens: paving the way for a more responsive, community-enabled model of healthcare that works better for patients and professionals alike