By replacing existing practices of handwritten prescription process orders with a digitalised operating framework the e-Prescription project modernises the health system in Greece.
- 24 June 2015
The "e-Prescription" project is a digital social service which aims to unify (connect and inter-operate) all national social insurance funds through a fully integrated e-Prescription platform that supports the management and monitoring, while also controlling the lifecycle of drug prescription. This cycle begins with the drugs prescription or laboratory test referrals, from monitoring their issuance until payment of the final beneficiaries and encompasses the clearance of the transactions of all national social insurance funds, doctor visits and electronic medical act referrals.
With e-Prescription patients benefit from a reduction of difficulties over prescription insurance coverage, they enjoy a more simple process, especially when it comes to renewals of prescriptions. And, of course, less mistakes are made due to misreads. At the same time there is less paperwork for the health authorities and less unproductive time spent on bureaucratic procedures.
Physicians get online access to patient's information
From the doctor's point of view the e-prescription project offers a clear overview of the patient’s medical history as well as a better formulary adherence and alignment with guidelines.
The first pilot project was initiated in 2010 through an implementation of the system related to one of the Social Security Funds (the self-employed workers insurance organization). For the time being, it is the most important e-Gov application to e-Health that has been installed and operated at IDIKA S.A, which is an e-Government Centre for social security services.
Since November 2014 the main e-prescription project has entered its implementation phase and it is estimated to finish by the end of 2015.
The project has had a high rate of coverage and penetration throughout the country and is regarded as one of the major fully operating national e-government applications, including medicine prescriptions and medical act referrals.
Some statistics
In order to get an idea of the penetration rate of the project, here are some statistics to make it more concrete (latest data available early 2015):
Cooperation – involvement of 10 200 to 11 000 pharmacies in the prescription process per monthParticipation of 40 000 active doctors from 49 000 doctors subscribed in the system per monthProvision of 6 000 000 e-prescriptions services per monthProvision of 2 000 000 diagnostic referrals per monthProvision of e-prescription service to 2 400 000 – 2 600 000 patients per monthProvision of medical act referrals services to 1 000 000 patientsTotal investment and EU funding
The total investment of the project “E-Prescription” is EUR 11 955 020, of which the EU's European Regional Development Fund is contributing EUR 10 161 767 from the Operational Programme “Digital Convergence” and the Regional Operational Programmes Macedonia-Thrace, Crete – Aegean Islands, Thessaly – Sterea Ellada – Epirus and Attica for the 2007-2013 programming period.