The Estonian Social Ministry demands that in two months, all pharmacies have to have transitioned to the new digital prescriptions system and then the medical doctors will no longer be allowed to issue prescriptions on paper. At the moment though, the technical digital prescriptions system still has flaws and most doctors and pharmacies have not even tested it as yet.
Estonian Pharmacies Union chairwoman Kai Kimmel said that the pilot tests have brought to light numerous flaws in the system and unless the flaws are liquidated by January 1, some kind of transition period has to be implemented. The pilot tests take place in 15 out of 500 Estonian pharmacies and in many, the testing has been rather superficial.
Kimmel warned that otherwise serious problems may emerge in January, since the system is not ready. For example it could emerge that state-subsidised medicines cannot be prescribed.
“Obligatory use of digital prescriptions with such short transition period is not realistic or rational,” said also Estonian Doctors Union board member Vallo Volke, adding that while it will cause the work of doctors to be less smooth, pharmacies and patients will have much graver problems. For example while many older people now ask someone else to bring their prescription medicines from a pharmacy, it will be much more complicated with a digital prescription.
Social Ministry e-health department project manager Pille Kink claims though that all information systems have been tested, central system flaws have been repaired and all important functions ready for use.
One reason why the ministry is in a hurry to implement the new system is in EU support money. In the prescription centre’s 3.4 mln kroons project, the state promised to start using the digi-prescriptions. Nearly 8.5 milloon kroons has been spent on it from the state budget.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Juhan Tere
Quelle/Source: The Baltic Course, 27.10.2009
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