A Foreword from Lord Carter and Dr Keith Ridge CBE

“Improving the safety, efficiency, and coordination of medicines across the NHS is ultimately about better outcomes for patients. 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 are one of the most significant areas of NHS spend, costing over £18 billion annually, and touch nearly every part of the health and care system. As the NHS seeks to deliver better value for taxpayers and improve population health, improving how medicines are managed, monitored, and shared across settings is vital.

This is why interoperability, defined as the ability of different systems to communicate and share data seamlessly, is no longer a technical aspiration. It is a clinical, operational, and strategic necessity. Interoperability underpins many of the ambitions set out in the NHS’s 10-Year Plan: from digitising care and reducing medication errors, to supporting more integrated, personalised services.

Yet, many NHS Trusts still face challenges in articulating the full value of interoperability initiatives, especially when benefits are realised across teams, departments, or care settings.

Recognising this, the Automating 4 Better Care (A4BC) Forum commissioned a joint effort by System C and BD to develop a Benefits Framework for Medicines Interoperability.

Introducing the Benefits Framework for Medicines Interoperability

This tool is designed to help NHS leaders define, evidence, and communicate the value of interoperable systems across the medicines pathway, from prescribing and pharmacy through to administration and monitoring. It draws on published evidence, practitioner insight, and real-world examples to support Trusts in making the case for investment, guiding implementation, and tracking outcomes.

We hope this framework will be a practical, adaptable starting point to help local teams build strong business cases while contributing to national priorities for digital transformation, safety, and system integration.

We are pleased to share this initial version of the framework with you. It reflects the collaborative spirit of the A4BC Forum and is intended as a tool for continued learning and refinement. We invite you to use it, test it, and help shape its evolution so that interoperability delivers on its full potential for staff, patients, and the wider health and care system.” – Lord Carter and Dr Keith Ridge OBE

Next Steps

View our medicines automation benefits calculator to discover how much your organisation could save through medicines automation.

Have questions or need tailored advice? Contact us today. Our friendly specialists are here to help you make informed decisions with confidence.