Transforming Controlled Drug Processes with Intelligent Digital Solutions

Healthcare providers handle thousands of controlled substance transactions daily.

These powerful pain reliefs require precise documentation to comply with legislation and mitigate risks. Existing solutions were tailored to community settings, falling short for hospital-specific needs such as recording administrations, patient-own-drugs (PODs), and investigatory reporting.

Additional challenges included:

• Paper-heavy processes vulnerable to human errors and crossings out

• IPC (infection prevention and control) concerns around paper handling

• Fragmented workflows between wards, theatres, and emergency departments.

Solidsoft Reply designed eCDR-Pro, a digital platform to support the end-to-end management of controlled drugs, tailored to the needs of hospital-based clinical teams. Working closely with stakeholders across wards, theatres, and emergency departments, Solidsoft Reply mapped over 40 unique workflows to ensure full compliance with regulations and daily practices.

Solidsoft Reply’s focus for the solution design was on simplicity, usability, and governance. eCDR-Pro’s intuitive user interface reduced the training times, increased compliance, and offered real-time visibility into CD transactions. By integrating with the existing infrastructure in environments where cloud adoption is still emerging, the team ensured the solution could work within complex estates without disrupting clinical operations.

Solidsoft Reply took a phased approach to implementation, rolling out the solution site by site and ward by ward to minimise disruption and protect patient safety. Solidsoft Reply’s “train the trainer” model empowers staff to lead adoption, supported by a dedicated training programme that prepares staff in each area before go-live.

Throughout the rollout, user interaction with the system was observed in real time. This allowed for further opportunities to simplify workflows and improve efficiency—always with appropriate governance and clinical oversight. Solidsoft Reply treats every change as part of a continuous improvement cycle, guided by feedback from the NHS staff who use the system every day.

Solidsoft Reply delivered an award-winning first-of- type solution that is intuitive, compliant, and clinically trusted. By streamlining controlled drug processes, eCDR-Pro saves thousands of nursing hours each year; time that can be focused on patient care and safety, governance, and quality improvement.

eCDR-Pro gives pharmacists real-time visibility of stock and transactions, including out of hours, reducing delays and supports clinical decision-making. Incident reporting becomes more effective, helping teams identify and address risks quickly. The solution improves oversight across departments, enabling better investigations, audits, and accountability.

Success means enabling clinical teams to work more safely and efficiently, with confidence in the tools they use every day.

Solidsoft Reply understands that early alignment between clinical and technical teams is essential. Taking the time to understand each other’s priorities helps us build solutions that truly work in practice.

Instead of assuming, Solidsoft Reply tests, observes, and adjusts ensuring that clinical staff and teams can adopt eCDR-Pro without disrupting care.

By understanding how people use the system in real settings, Solidsoft Reply found meaningful ways to simplify workflows and reduce time spent on administrative activities.