E-prescription system malfunctions cause dismay among pharmacy employees
The German e-prescription system, set to become mandatory from January 2024, is facing significant challenges as it grapples with frequent failures, outages, and instability. These issues have caused disruptions in pharmacies and impacted patient care, leading to widespread frustration among pharmacists and patients alike.
In just the past two weeks, there have been five days of complete outages or significant disruptions in the e-prescription system or the underlying telematics infrastructure. The head of the Federal Association of Pharmacists, Thomas Preis, has compared the system's unreliability unfavourably to that of Deutsche Bahn, the German national railway.
The frequent disruptions to the telematics infrastructure that supports e-prescriptions have been a key issue, with reported outages occurring on multiple days within short time frames. Gematik, the federal digital agency responsible for the system, has admitted to these disruptions affecting components and services required for the use of the e-prescription.
To address these concerns, stakeholders are actively seeking solutions. Thomas Preis has called on Gematik to urgently enhance the system's stability and reliability. Pharmacies are asking for greater flexibility to dispense medications "quickly and unbureaucratically" during system downtimes to avoid harming patients.
Patient advocacy groups and pharmacists have called for improved transparency via an early warning system or "daily e-prescription radar" to alert doctors when the system is operational, enabling them to issue paper prescriptions as backups proactively. Board member Eugen Brysch of the German Foundation for Patient Protection has echoed this call, demanding an end to the "black box e-prescription" and the implementation of a "daily e-prescription radar" to inform doctors of system functionality.
Gematik is continuously working to further improve the reliability and stability of the e-prescription system. However, there are calls for greater reporting and accountability, including monthly outage reports from Gematik directed by the federal health ministry to maintain public awareness and trust. Eugen Brysch has demanded that Health Minister Nina Warken (CDU) instructs Gematik to submit a monthly disruption report.
Despite these efforts, the digitization of healthcare and e-prescriptions is unavoidable. However, ensuring high reliability is critical to avoid impacting patient health negatively. The situation reflects ongoing challenges in the telematics infrastructure and highlights the need for technological and operational improvements to stabilize the system.
- The ongoing challenges in the telematics infrastructure, which supports e-prescriptions, have raised concerns about the reliability of the system in the field of health and wellness, particularly when it comes to medical conditions, as the frequent disruptions can negatively affect patient care.
- In the realm of science and technology, it is crucial for organizations like Gematik, responsible for the e-prescription system, to implement solutions such as the "daily e-prescription radar" to enhance transparency, improve accountability, and ensure the system is functioning properly, thereby maintaining public trust and achieving optimal health outcomes for patients.
