In just a week: e-prescriptions for antibiotics reduced their sales in pharmacies by 25%

Electronic prescribing of antibiotics reduced their sales in pharmacies by 25% in one week. The Health Ministry's leadership was summoned by MPs to an emergency health committee meeting over problems following the introduction of mandatory e-prescriptions for antibiotics and diabetes drugs. Despite the insistence of doctors and ombudsman Diana Kovacheva for a temporary return to paper prescriptions, there will be no step back. The health ministry assured that they are working to fix the problems.

E-prescriptions sparked acrimonious clash between doctors' and pharmacists' unions

Since the introduction of the electronic prescription for antibiotics and medicines for diabetics, dissatisfied patients have been returning to Dr Hristov's office.

"Many of the medications we prescribe are not available in pharmacies. This requires the patient to come back to get an antibiotic replaced with another one," said Dr. Yordan Hristov - cardiologist, general practitioner, Lozenets University Hospital.

In some cases, the doctor does not know that the import of some of the commonly prescribed drugs has been discontinued, and in others the pharmacist cannot dispense the medication because of a discrepancy between the codes in the pharmacy and the doctor's office.

"Some of the codes for which medicines are prescribed cannot be found in pharmacies because it turns out that they are old codes," explained Dr. Yordan Hristov.

"There is a Bulgarian manufacturer, and there is an import, from another manufacturer. If the Bulgarian manufacturer is prescribed, I do not know when to replace it with the one from the imported manufacturer, " said Master Pharmacist Margarita Grozdanova.

Information Services company said it had proposed a solution to the problem with the codes and was awaiting approval from the Health Ministry to activate it.

"As early as next week the problems with the codes should be solved. So that the code that is prescribed by the doctors can be the same that is seen in the pharmacy," explained Prof. Hristo Hinkov - Minister of Health.

Despite the problems, Information Services reported that almost 70% of the electronic white prescriptions were fulfilled last week.

"When several days pass and conversations are held and issues are discussed publicly, a solution is found and that solution is reflected in these numbers. Improving patient service," said Ivaylo Filippov, director of Information Services.

The doctors' union has also demanded the return of the paper white prescription, but the health ministry says there will be no going back.

"Going back to a paper prescription means never introducing digitalisation. With the introduction of this electronic prescription, it was suddenly apparent that antibiotics were being bought in the same way that banal household products are bought," said Prof. Hristo Hinkov - Minister of Health.

A change is in the pipeline that will allow only emergency doctors to prescribe antibiotics on paper prescription. It will also enable those working in dental faculties to write electronic prescriptions. The free mobile app for e-prescriptions is also to be updated.