Europe: The future of digital prescriptions
Artificial intelligence is not only used to assist physicians, but also for data exchange between hospitals and patients. The European Union, in the last few years, has made great strides in digitizing its systems in many of its countries. Data exchange has become an essential function to improve the efficiency of this system and this year, the European Commission presented a regulation for cross-border electronic health services, which allows the digitization of healthcare throughout the European Union. The infrastructure is called MyHealth@EU.
Handwritten prescriptions are becoming a thing of the past. Although it is still in use, today many pharmacies around the world accept digital prescriptions, either via photograph or through an application. Electronic prescriptions imply cost savings in terms of reducing medication dispensing errors. The eHDSI, guarantees continuity of care for European citizens when they travel to another country within the same. Not only is their clinical data stored here, but they can also find their prescriptions so that they are valid in any country in which they are purchasing medication. The prescription can not only be authorized in the country where they are, but it will also be translated to the language of the pharmacist or specialist who receives it. The first country to implement this system was Portugal – 98% of its prescriptions became virtual – which is why Portugal has collaborated in the development of this new tool, which is expected to expand throughout Europe by 2025.
Thanks to MyHealth@EU, patients will be able to access their general health information, view prescriptions and connect with doctors for teleconsultations. All the data provided is regulated by national and European legislation. In the future, patients will be able to buy their medicines wherever they are, without the need for cross-border and language conflicts, thanks to the digital revolution that is helping to improve the quality of life for everyone today.
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