The Owl Centre Transforms ADHD Prescribing with CLEO EPS

Introduction

The Owl Centre offers online therapy services, autism and ADHD assessment and uses digital health technologies to support long-distance clinical health care, patient and professional health-related education, health administration and public health.

The Owl Centre was set up in 2011 and the team at the Owl Centre now work with a range of providers to carry out online services - such as ADHD assessments - under Patient Choice, Right to Choose and via ICBs across the country.  As medication is the recommended route for patients with ADHD via the NHS, OWL also helps support the prescribing of medication.

The challenge

The Owl Centre had developed their own internal digital clinical system to support requirements for their therapy service, autism and ADHD assessment provision. However, as part of the service included clinicians prescribing medication and sending out prescriptions to patients after assessments, the team were finding that these prescriptions could be delayed or lost. Clinicians were also having to post prescriptions, which was time consuming and expensive. The Owl team identified a requirement to use a standalone electronic prescribing solution which would dovetail into their clinical system: something that would increase functionality with no duplication of effort.

As the team only had a requirement for prescribing for ADHD, which is secondary care prescribing, with a limited and local formulary selected by the ICB, the team did not need to use out of hours care. There was also a requirement to carry out secure prescribing as ADHD medications are controlled.

Solution

The Owl team had heard positive feedback about CLEO Systems and investigated the CLEO EPS electronic prescribing solution, which they found to be a perfect fit for their needs. As a standalone system, CLEO EPS is used in a wide range of secondary care outpatient and community settings, enabling the secure transfer of patient data. Patients’ prescriptions can be entered and sent electronically to a nominated community pharmacy of a patient’s choice.

The team worked with CLEO Systems to set up CLEO EPS and is being used across the centre with positive feedback. Clinicians now use CLEO EPS when prescribing medication and these prescriptions are sent electronically to the patient’s nominated pharmacy. 

When the clinician has prescribed medication, there is a ‘watchful titration period’ for the patient. Thereafter health checks and prescribing are based on outcomes and whether symptoms are improved and whether they are able to stabilise the patient. If the medication is not successful, they will try other medication. The patient is then sent back to the GP to take over shared care.

Charlotte Forsyth, Chief Commercial Officer at the Owl Centre says: "We found using CLEO EPS all very intuitive and easy. Most of our prescribers have NHS backgrounds and are used to prescribing, so it’s all been a really positive project with great outcomes."

Benefits

The Owl team are delighted with the CLEO EPS roll out and with the range of benefits they have realised, from risk reduction to increased patient satisfaction. They have seen a reduction in costs as there is no longer a requirement for sending out prescriptions by post or courier. The team no longer have to deal with lost prescriptions as scripts are sent electronically. Patient experience is vastly improved, as they can collect their prescriptions when and where they want.  

Charlotte continues: "It was a very efficient project and the go live was brilliant - we were supported throughout. The whole solution works well end do end and there is a real risk reduction and increase in efficiency. Patients much prefer the way of receiving prescriptions as its in line with their NHS experience and fits in with their lifestyle.

When there was an ADHD medication shortage in late 2023, having something like CLEO EPS would have made it much easier."