In an exceptionally short period of 2 months, Information Services JSC successfully developed and launched the centralized online system for prescribing and dispensing medicinal products. The "E-prescription" module is a subsystem of the National Health Information System (NHIS) and is already working successfully with general practitioners and pharmacies that have integrated their software with it and have contracts with the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF). Through the new platform, doctors can electronically prescribe medications that are fully or partially funded by the NHIF as well as other medicinal products.

No technical issues were reported during the launch of the electronic prescription subsystem. The NHIS servers are operating smoothly, and the company's team is available to assist general practitioners and pharmacies at any time of the day if difficulties arise or assistance is needed.

The electronic prescription is not just a digital version of the standard paper prescription but a key element in building e-health in Bulgaria. It allows general practitioners to prescribe treatment to their patients electronically and create an electronic health record with information about the diagnosis and prescribed medications, which will then be accessible in the citizen's electronic record.

Issuing an e-prescription does not exclude physical examinations by doctors, but for COVID patients or when physical presence is not possible, medications can be prescribed electronically after a phone consultation.

The electronic prescription can be fulfilled at any pharmacy using a specially generated national reference number (NRN) and the patient's personal identification number, with other identification combinations also possible. The system is designed to provide information to the doctor about the prescription's fulfillment, which is not possible with paper prescriptions. The platform also allows for operation without a connection to the system's core by generating a special barcode that pharmacists can scan.

The project covers over 4,000 general practitioners and around 3,500 pharmacies nationwide that need to integrate their software with the NHIS. The goal is to facilitate citizens and doctors and reduce errors in prescribing medications or interpreting handwriting. The introduction of the electronic prescription reduces patient congestion at doctors' offices and pharmacies, which is crucial during the ongoing pandemic.

The subsystem allows for the creation and storage of a history of prescribed treatment and medications, which is part of the electronic health record and the patient's electronic record. This improves the control over the dispensing of medications, as they are monitored in real-time, ensuring effective and quality drug therapy for patients.

With this successful integration platform, Information Services JSC gives a strong boost to the development of e-health in Bulgaria. It allows institutions to have a detailed and up-to-date picture of citizens' health status in real-time and make timely and informed strategic management decisions.

Simultaneously, the company continues its successful work on building key subsystems of the NHIS and other healthcare-related projects, as well as its role as the National System Integrator.