Electronic prescription: differences between autonomous communities affecting access to treatment and the quality of pharmaceutical care

Abstract

Background. The electronic prescription systems implemented in the different autonomous communities in Spain show differences. This study aims to describe how these differences affect access to treatment and pharmaceutical care, and what specific characteristics facilitate them.

Methods. A survey was designed to evaluate the electronic prescription systems. This survey was carried out at the Drug Information Centers of the Official Pharmacists’ Colleges of all the Spanish autonomous communities during February and March 2020.

Results. In all autonomous communities there were some limitations regarding the temporary availability of the treatment, and incidents regarding the way of accessing the electronic prescription were recorded only in only five communities. In no community are pharmacies able to solve availability problems in special circumstances, nor is there any effective system for communicating with the doctor or recording patient data. Only some communities organize certain replacements to adapt the prescription to the patient’s requirements.

Conclusions. The current electronic prescription system could be optimized to avoid inequalities between autonomous communities and improve the quality of care received by patients, facilitating access to treatment, and avoiding the need to travel and delays. Access on presenting the health card, adaptation of time limitations to avoid blockages, dispensing medicines in special circumstances justified and registered by the pharmacist, as well as enabling efficient pharmacist-doctor communication, are general measures that avoid inequalities and facilitate access to treatments and pharmaceutical care.