Vitebsk City Polyclinic has implemented electronic prescriptions for issuing subsidized medicines

Vitebsk City Central Polyclinic has implemented electronic prescriptions for issuing preferential medicines, reported the acting chief physician of the institution, Inna Ilyushchenko.

The Vitebsk region began the phased implementation of electronic prescriptions even before a similar experiment started in four Minsk polyclinics under the ministry's healthcare informatization program. The new system has been used by Vitebsk Polyclinic No. 1 and the Regional Diagnostic Center since this year. "This is a pilot project implemented in cooperation with the 'Farmatsiya' enterprise. In May, we installed the necessary software for issuing prescriptions (form No. 1) at full cost. And at the end of August, our partners improved the system, and now the electronic prescription also applies to preferential medicines. In addition, the program has updated directories containing useful information for the prescribing physician about trade names of medicines, their dosages, and availability in pharmacies. The only difference from the program currently being developed at the national level is that we have not switched to using plastic cards with barcodes," explained Inna Ilyushchenko.

The essence of the innovation is that the prescription details are entered directly during the doctor's appointment into the electronic medical record and saved as a barcode. This same information automatically becomes available to all pharmacies in the Vitebsk region. Additionally, the patient is given a prescription form with the same barcode. This also simplifies the pharmacist's work by speeding up the dispensing of medicines. They only need to scan the barcode, and the prescribed medicines will appear on the screen. Furthermore, there is feedback: information about the purchase is recorded in the system, and the attending physician can check at any time whether the medicine has been purchased and if the patient is following their prescriptions.

"The electronic prescription is primarily convenient for healthcare professionals: it simplifies and speeds up work. It also allows for control over the issuance of subsidized prescriptions. Having implemented this system, we have already begun preparing patients for the introduction of plastic cards with personal barcodes. Now we are just waiting for the opportunity to connect to the central republican registry in Minsk and purchase the cards for subsequent distribution to everyone who wishes," added Inna Ilyushchenko.

Ekaterina Kniazeva, BELTA.