With the e-prescription, the paperwork for recipes is to be ended. But things are still not going smoothly in the test phase. However, the mandatory introduction should take effect in January.
When the electronic prescription was introduced, the test phase was extended.
The test application, which has been running since July and originally planned for three months, in some practices, clinics and pharmacies in Berlin and Brandenburg will now run until the end of November, said the centrally responsible company Gematik. The voluntary nationwide introduction, on the other hand, which should start on October 1, has been put on hold for the time being: Doctors cannot yet offer digital prescriptions nationwide. However, only a few would have done this in October anyway.
It is also clear that the mandatory introduction will take effect in January 2022 – then legally insured persons should receive QR codes instead of pink slips of paper.
One reason for the change in plan is that many medical practices do not yet have the technical ability to issue e-prescriptions: there is a lack of certified updates for their practice management systems. There are a number of different digital administration systems in Germany’s medical practices, a total of around 130. In addition, too few health insurance companies are still participating in the Gematik e-prescription for a nationwide introduction to be promising. The situation should improve in the coming months.
The e-prescription is intended to end the paperwork for prescriptions – currently those with statutory health insurance receive around 500 million prescriptions every year. From next year they should receive a QR code, either on their smartphones or – if they are not yet using the Gematik “E-Prescription” app – printed out. Access to the digital prescription via the app can be practical, for example if you have attended a video consultation and the doctor does not have to send a paper prescription by post afterwards. However, the paper recipes will not go away completely, for example, they should continue to be available for home visits. The digital prescription does not apply to privately insured persons.
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
