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Latest Dispens-IT News
January 2025
Into the second quarter of the century!
Hopefully you have all settled into the New Year and all is returning to normal in the dispensing world.
Don't forget to let us know if your IT providers are planning to replace or update any of your
computers (including servers!) in the near future so that we can book it in to our support schedule
and have a technician ready to assist as needed.
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04 September 2024
Recent NHS England Restrictions
We are having trouble delivering our usual level of prompt support to some sites because of newly-imposed restrictions on remote access.
These have been introduced suddenly and without any warning, giving us no time to prepare - indeed many of the NHS IT Support
groups that we liaise with also don't seem to be fully aware of the situation.
If your IT support group is planning to replace or update any of your Dispens-IT PCs, please make them aware
of this potential issue beforehand.
We will of course still do our best to help, but please bear with us and understand
that these restrictions are completely outside our control.
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Older News Items
Are you having new PC's or Servers installed?
Many surgeries are now having new PC's and Servers installed, especially with the rollout of Windows 11. If this
applies to you, please let us know in advance so we can ensure we have a technician available on the day to re-configure your
Dispens-IT setup and keep everything running as smoothly as possible.
Fewer Products
Carrying Old Style Barcodes
Some
manufacturers are removing the old style one-dimensional (1D) barcodes from
their medications in favour of the 2D "chequer-board" style on
the ends of the packs.
Even
for medication packs that still carry both styles of barcode, there are
several advantages in scanning the 2D version, since it contains batch code
and expiry date information which can be checked and logged automatically.
As
you may be aware, the move to these 2D barcodes was prompted by the EU
Falsified Medicines Directive which briefly came into force in 2019 before
being put on hold (for now!) by Brexit. Naturally, though, with products
being manufactured for a global market, the move to 2D continues.
The
latest version of Dispens-IT (Version 6) is capable of reading the 2D
barcodes (being FMD-ready) as long as you also have a scanner that is
2D-capable.
We
are busy contacting sites to offer this free upgrade. However, if you wish
to be upgraded sooner, please do contact the helpdesk.
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POST-PANDEMIC SUPPORT
After successfully installing remote working facilities during
the pandemic, some of our helpdesk team have since continued to work
remotely but the helpdesk line on 01777 234500 operates as usual.
If
your call is not answered after a short while, please leave a message with a
contact number instead of holding. Your message will be relayed immediately
to the team and you will be called back in turn.
Alternatively, there is a live chat tool on our remote assistance page which operates
during office hours, or you can email the team at
support@vivitech.co.uk
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