Prescriptions Transition to Electronic Format: New Changes Take Effect in March

Prescriptions are transitioning to an electronic format, with new changes set to take effect in March. “Currently, we are working with both electronic and paper versions, but after the government’s relevant decision, the issuance of paper prescriptions will be eliminated, and only the electronic format will be in use,” said Artaq Jumayan, Deputy Minister of Health, during a meeting with reporters.

“Within this pilot program, over 1.7 million prescriptions have already been issued through centralized purchases, and approximately 600,000 prescriptions under free and preferential conditions have also been issued. These prescriptions have been prepared by primary care physicians. All polyclinics, whether urban or rural, along with regional and village outpatient clinics, are engaged in this system. Starting in March, we will include antibiotics, antifungal, antimycobacterial, antiviral medications, and immune serums, as well as vaccines,” he stated.

Commenting on how the system will operate, Tsaghkanush Sargsyan, head of the electronic health implementation department at the National Institute of Health, noted, “The doctor will issue the medication electronically, indicating the active substance, quantity, validity period, frequency of dosage, method of obtaining the medications, and the number of pills to receive. After that, the patient goes to the pharmacy. At the pharmacy, they search for the prescription under the patient's name and see it. This means that pharmacies do not have access to the prescription until the patient approaches them. The patient contacts the pharmacy, and the prescription is found, where the quantity is noted for the medications provided, and the prescription is marked as fulfilled once all quantities are dispensed. This allows the patient not to be obliged to collect all medications from a single pharmacy at once; instead, they can collect them in portions, and the prescription will be marked as fulfilled after the patient receives the last pill or the expiration date of the prescription occurs.”

According to her, this system allows both the pharmacy and the doctor to track the status of prescriptions. “The doctor can see whether the patient has approached the pharmacy, received a certain quantity of prescriptions, or has completely obtained them, which previously could not be monitored. How much medication has been consumed, how much has been prescribed, how many patients have received the medications—all this information will be accessible through registers at both the pharmacy and the doctor’s office,” Tsaghkanush Sargsyan added. “With the electronic prescription, traceability can be monitored, and over time, with complete digitization, it will be possible to gather a comprehensive picture of the medication from its entry into the republic until it reaches the patient, including its side effects.”

She noted that if a patient does not present an identification document, it means that the pharmacy has no right to access that data, as the patient must perform the identification themselves. “A contact person can act in place of the patient, but they must also present an identification document to ensure that the pharmacy is giving the medication to the correct person.” In response to the question of whether all pharmacies have been informed about this system, Sargsyan replied that most companies engaged in pharmaceutical activities are already involved since they have contracts with medical institutions. “For the remaining pharmacies, all possible notifications have been carried out. We have created a guide and sent it to them so that they know what steps to take to gain access to the system. Naturally, as we begin, we will stay in continuous contact with them.” This will be carried out through the Armed system, so all pharmacies must be included in the Armed system.