Re: Will cause more problems than it solves
the current system is beautify simple.
The pharmacist keeps your old prescription in a brought forward system (a pile of paper in date order).
shortly before the repeat prescription is due he hands it a man with a van who takes it to your doctor.
At the surgery someone is handed a bunch of prescriptions and using their local record system orders a batch of new prescriptions, these are then printed on mass and given to a doctor to sign. Hands up all those who think the doctor reads them before signing.
A few days pass and the man with a van revisits the surgery to pick up the signed prescriptions. Back to the pharmacy and the pharmacist makes up the prescription entering the details in his local label printing/ stock control system. The paper prescription is then sent to the payment authority where it is no doubt entered into another system. the repeat prescription slip is then put back into the carry forward pile ready to go round again.
The really astute Reg readers might think that there is some room to stream line this system.