Sale of medicines via electronic prescriptions: combating self-medication in Armenia
Electronic prescriptions in Armenia
Starting March 1st, 470 of the 3,370 drugs registered in Armenia will be sold only by electronic prescriptions. The government has approved the project proposed by the Ministry of health. Its authors believe that this will prevent people from self-medicating and encourage them to seek quality professional care in clinics.
“Moreover, the introduction of electronic prescriptions will allow for monitoring and regulation of the overall situation, tracking the path of how the drug reaches the patient,” stated deputy minister of health Artak Djumalyan during the project discussion in the government.
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Currently, the focus is on “anti-infective drugs”
Electronic prescriptions will be issued for the purchase of medicines that are distributed for free, on preferential terms, as well as for anti-infective drugs. Specifically, this includes antibiotics, antifungal, antiviral medications, immune serums, and immunoglobulins, as well as vaccines.
Previously, paper prescriptions were signed not only by the doctor but also by the head of the clinic, which caused long lines. Now, as the ministry of health believes, this problem will be resolved.
“The active ingredient, not the brand, will be specified”
The Deputy Minister of Health, presenting the project to the Cabinet, reported that electronic prescriptions will specify the active ingredient rather than any particular brand. According to Jumalyan, there could be 5-10 drugs of the same type based on the active ingredient. This way, patients will have the opportunity to choose the drug that, for example, is more affordable. However, he emphasized that pharmacy staff will not be able to change the dosage prescribed by the doctor or make any other alterations to the prescription.
Furthermore, the electronic prescription will allow medical professionals to monitor the progress of their patients’ diseases. They will be able to see whether the patient has purchased the entire prescribed dose or only a part of it.
“Even based on side effects, it will be visible which medication was purchased and the effect it had on the patient. This will help to understand whether there are problems with the given drug, whether additional examination is needed, or whether it should be removed from the market,” explained Jumalyan.
The process is initiated through a special electronic system
As reported by the government, the process of issuing electronic prescriptions has been initiated through the existing “Armed” system. This is an electronic healthcare system familiar to local residents since the country’s coronavirus vaccination campaign. For example, when crossing the border, people showed electronic certificates of when and which vaccine they received.
The deputy minister stated that, according to the licensing requirements for pharmacies, all of them are required to have a profile in the “Armed” system.
The list of drugs will increase
The ministry of health plans to add 2,566 items to the list of medicines that will be sold via electronic prescriptions starting from January 1, 2025. The over-the-counter sale of about 300 drugs will continue.
The authors of the project report that after the implementation, improvement, and analysis of arising issues, they will propose another program. It will concern the issuance of prescriptions for drugs containing narcotic substances.
The pilot program was launched earlier
Since July 2022, a pilot program has been underway, involving the sale of 75 drugs intended for the treatment of 12 diseases.
“Currently, 470 drugs can be purchased with an electronic prescription, of which 395 are available for free or on preferential terms. The list also includes 75 drugs from the pilot project group,” reported the deputy minister of health.
