Doctors should write prescriptions digitally

In the future, doctors will have to write and submit prescriptions for medicines digitally. Parliament wants that. On Monday, the National Council referred a motion from State Councilor Damian Müller (FDP/LU) to the Federal Council.

Müller had argued that digitizing recipes made them easier to read. In addition, patient safety is increased if there are no “media breaks” in the transmission of prescriptions, ie the prescription does not have to be transferred from paper to the computer, for example.

The self-determination of patients and the free choice of pharmacy must be guaranteed. People with less digital skills should be able to request a paper copy of the digital prescription.

The Bundesrat opposed the motion. Federal Councilor Alain Berset said the legal basis for the electronic dispensing and transfer of medicines is already in place. However, with 128 votes in favour, 41 against and 8 abstentions, the National Council voted in favor of the motion, following its Social Security and Health Commission (SGK-N).

Their spokeswoman Regine Sauter (FDP/ZH) said in the council that digitization in healthcare urgently needed to be promoted. There should be an obligation on the part of the medical profession to promote the digitization of the electronic prescription of medicines. The Council of States had already approved the motion in May. (sda)