Most Telemark municipalities have used ePrescription since 7 February 2012, while others will join later. For instance, Nissedal and Aust-Agder counties are expected to adopt ePrescriptions on 24 April 2012, while the municipalities of Hjartdal and Notodden in early 2013.
The scheme is well received by patients, doctors, pharmacies and medical supply outlets. In this regard the director of the Directorate of Health, Ms. Anne-Lise Härter said: "All actors involved have positive experiences and I think that electronic prescriptions are better than the paper ones".
Compared with paper prescription, ePrescription provides more secure procedures and increased patient safety - it indeed reduces the risk of medication errors, misinterpreting written prescriptions and dispensing incorrect medication; moreover, it is expected to eliminate the practice of false prescriptions, which is a growing social problem - it is significantly more difficult to forge a prescription that is sent electronically.
The ePrescription is included in a database, and pharmacies and medical supply outlets can dispense the prescribed drugs without requiring the patient to actually bring a paper prescription.
In addition, as part of the ePrescription scheme, a personalised web service named 'My prescriptions' (Mine resepter, in Norwegian) gives users a good overview of their valid ePrescriptions.
ePrescriptions are now implemented in almost all of Hordaland municipalities and in 40 municipalities of Bergen and Vestfold. 185 GPs, 82 pharmacies and 11 medical supply outlets use ePrescriptions on a daily basis. Over 700 000 prescriptions have been issued by doctors since the first ePrescriptions were introduced in spring 2010.
The Health Directorate of the Ministry of Health and Care Services is responsible for managing the national implementation process of ePrescriptions, with the objective of a nationwide use of in 2013. The scheme will be introduced in primary care and specialist practices, medical clinics and all pharmacies.
Further information:
- Original News Article - The Norwegian Directorate of Health (in Norwegian)
- Related ePractice news article - NO: Country-wide implementation of ePrescriptions a success
- ePrescription Programme (in Norwegian)
- 'My Prescriptions' service (in English, Norwegian and Swedish)
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Quelle/Source: epractice, 08.03.2012