Hà Nội to introduce digital prescriptions

HÀ NỘI — As part of a new project, Hà Nội will introduce digital prescriptions to better monitor patients receiving too many medicines or food supplements, and stop people being prescribed the incorrect drugs.

The project to control prescriptions and the sale of medicines in Hà Nội in the period 2018-20, often called Project 155, was signed by Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Ngô Văn Quý.

The project aims to enhance control of prescribing and selling of prescription drugs.

Hà Nội plans that by 2020, antibiotics will only be sold at pharmacies when they are requested with a prescription.

Applying information technology to manage pharmacies has many benefits, including helping to connect residents with doctors and pharmacists, ensuring residents can buy drugs safely, according to city leaders.

Moreover, the digital prescriptions would be easier to read than written ones, and help limit spelling mistakes, the leaders said.

The project will be chaired by the Hà Nội Department of Health, and the deadline to complete the system will be the beginning of next year.

The digital prescription model will also apply to outpatients. — VNS