As of this Wednesday, January 1, 2025, the electronic prescription which, according to regulations regulated six months ago, will become the only valid modality for the prescription of medications.
The National Law on Electronic Prescriptions (Nº27,553) It was regulated on July 1, 2024 and granted 180 days for the adaptation of the platforms and repositories. The deadline ended on December 31 and this Wednesday the new system comes into effect.
According to the Decree 345/2024the prescription of medicines stops being on paper and begins to be mandatory exclusively through the media registered in the National Registry of Digital Health Platforms (ReNaPDiS).
The Ministry of Health seeks that this advance consolidates a more efficient digital ecosystem, since it promises to transform the way in which medical orders are issued and managed, reinforcing the traceability and agility in the dispensation, in addition to offering a safer access to essential treatments.
However, the application will not be homogeneous: only 11 of the 24 jurisdictions adhered to the regulations of the electronic medical prescription of the Ministry of Health of the Nation. They are Catamarca, Chaco, Corrientes, Entre Ríos, Jujuy, Mendoza, Misiones, Salta, San Juan, Tierra del Fuego and Tucumán.
The province of Buenos Aires, and the city of Buenos Aires, Chubut and La Rioja have their own regulations for electronic prescriptions. Río Negro and Santa Fe, similar projects underway.
Prepaid, as they are regulated by the Nation, must adapt to the electronic prescription. While in the non-national hospitals of the City and the province of Buenos Aires the mixed system of electronic prescription + paper prescription coexists.
What the electronic prescription should contain
For electronic prescriptions to be valid, they must include these requirements:
- Identification of the doctor or health professional: name, registration, profession, specialty and address.
- Bar-code.
- Patient identification: name, social security or prepaid insurance, date of birth, ID and sex.
- Description of the prescribed medication, which must detail:
– Generic name or international common name
– Presentation
– Pharmaceutical form
– Number of units
– Optionally, the trade name suggested by the professional prescriber
– Diagnosis
– Issue date
– Digital signature of the professional.
In which cases can the paper prescription continue to be used?
In accordance with the regulations, the handwritten prescription will remain valid only as a exception in specific cases, such as in hard-to-reach areas, lack of connectivity or temporary interruptions of the system.
In addition, prescriptions issued on paper before December 31 2024 may be used within the usual established validity period.
Source: Ambito
