The Việt Nam Medical Informatics Association is currently collaborating with 48 departments of health nationwide to guide all healthcare facilities and pharmacies in implementing e-prescriptions and prescription-based sales. — Photo baochinhphu.vn

Nguyễn Hữu Trọng, Secretary-General of the Việt Nam Medical Informatics Association, talks to Sức khoẻ & Đời sống (Health & Life) newspaper about the implementation of electronic prescriptions at healthcare facilities and pharmacies nationwide.

How effective are electronic prescriptions and why is it necessary for hospitals and healthcare facilities to implement them?

In Việt Nam, the Law on Medical Examination and Treatment and the Law on Pharmacy have long stressed the need for rigorous oversight of medical practices, prescriptions, and drug dispensing. However, enforcement gaps persist, allowing the unauthorised sale of prescription drugs and self-prescription by patients. This lack of supervision poses challenges to prescription transparency and accuracy.

Furthermore, there's no mechanism to verify prescription legitimacy or track dispensed quantities across pharmacies, leading to the use of outdated prescriptions. To address these issues, the Ministry of Health has introduced e-prescriptions and the national information system for drug prescription management and prescription drug sales. This initiative aims to streamline prescription sharing with pharmacies, verifying authenticity and expiry status.

By mandating e-prescriptions, the government seeks to combat antibiotic resistance and improve public health, aligning with global directives. The National Drug Prescription and Dispensing Information System ensures transparency in drug dispensing, allowing pharmacies to authenticate and track prescriptions. This fosters responsible drug dispensing practices and enhances public health.

Through e-prescriptions, pharmacies can implement prescription-based sales effectively, while government authorities can conduct more thorough inspections. Compliance with Ministry of Health regulations not only benefits patients but also streamlines prescription management for healthcare facilities and pharmacies.

How is the nationwide implementation of e-prescriptions progressing and why some localities still encounter difficulties with the process?

The Việt Nam Medical Informatics Association, in collaboration with the National Health Information Centre and the Department of Health Facility Management under the Ministry of Health, conducted a social impact assessment and found that implementing e-prescriptions is not challenging or complicated.

Public healthcare facilities, including commune health stations, district hospitals, and higher-level hospitals, seamlessly transitioned to issuing electronic prescriptions using various software management programmes. Since late 2022, they have been transmitting prescriptions to the national system at no extra cost, facilitated by automatic submission through existing healthcare facility software. Additionally, all public healthcare facilities have been equipped with free digital signatures.

E-prescription issuance has been in practice for some time, with recent integration into the national system for sharing with pharmacies. Private facilities are in the final stages of connection.

The Việt Nam Medical Informatics Association is currently collaborating with 48 departments of health nationwide to guide all healthcare facilities and pharmacies in implementing e-prescriptions and prescription-based sales.

However, some departments of health have yet to conduct training sessions, and inspections and penalties are not consistently enforced. Delays in connectivity among private facilities may stem from a lack of specific guidance and inadequate monitoring. The primary challenge lies in individuals and healthcare establishments lacking awareness of new legal documents and procedures, or failing to effectively conduct inspections and monitoring.

Does implementing e-prescriptions require significant investment, and why are many localities still hesitant?

Many software providers offer user-friendly platforms, allowing prescriptions to be issued via smartphones or tablets without complex setups. As for costs, they vary depending on the software provider.

Software usage is common in businesses today, from noodle shops to large companies, showing proactive investment in management software despite not being mandated.

Regarding integration, storage, and sharing of prescriptions, the system is sponsored by businesses and established as a public asset, incurring no costs for healthcare facilities.

In conclusion, e-prescriptions are necessary and feasible. Hospital leaders, both public and private, along with private clinics, should adopt electronic prescribing, not only to address poorly written prescriptions but also to enhance patient safety and combat antibiotic resistance. — VNS