ePrescribing was identified in the National eHealthStrategy (2013) as a key priority for Ireland. The benefits of ePrescribing initiatives are well documented and an increasing number of countries use ePrescribing and the electronic transfer of prescriptions (ETP). The benefits include a reduction in medication errors, prescription and transcription errors, with a corresponding improvement in patient safety.

An electronic medicinal product reference catalogue is an electronic dictionary of medications available for prescribing and dispensing. The key aim of the catalogue is to provide a consistent approach to the identification and naming of medicines prescribed and dispensed.