New software saves GPs thousands

Almost £500,000 has been saved by GP surgeries in Norfolk over the past two years after they began using a new computer software programme.

Doctors in the county can now see a price comparison for the drugs about to be prescribed.

Many of the top brands are often cheaper than lesser known alternatives.

NHS Norfolk said the software, which is used by 40 out of 92 surgeries in the county costs just 37p per patient and each surgery could save £35,000 a year.

Dr James Mair, from the Newmarket Road Surgery in Norwich, said: "The price of tablets, creams and appliances change all the time and this software alerts us immediately to cost savings.

"It suggests equally effective but often vastly cheaper alternatives to what we had intended to prescribe."

Ian Small, from NHS Norfolk, said: "This is a helpful way of ensuring NHS resources are used correctly.

"It still allows GPs complete clinical freedom as the system's recommendations can be accepted or rejected at the click of a mouse."

The software being used is called ScriptSwitch.