Diagnostics and visits still with the old prescriptions. Doctors in revolt: privacy issues
03 September 2014 The Morning of Padua
«The digitization of red recipes? At the moment we do not see the usefulness of it ». The complaint comes from the Federation of general practitioners (Fimmg) of Padua. In the world of healthcare, there are those who are already dealing with the first defects of the new "memo" on white paper which, from September 1st, replaces the red pharmaceutical prescriptions.
In the old version the dosage was indicated between the lines, in the new version this possibility is missing. If before the citizen came out of the clinic with indications on which drug to take, in what doses and when, today he has none of this. “If you prescribe several drugs, it becomes difficult to keep everything in mind. We think above all of the elderly who are already struggling to remember to take their medicines. The result? Double work for us doctors. In addition to filling out the memo, we must take care to write the dosage on another sheet.
A chaos» comments Domenico Crisarà, president of the Fimmg of Padua. The system also raises some concerns about privacy. «To print the reminder, the doctor must indicate the patient's pathology. The data is automatically sent to the Ministry. If I were a citizen I would like to know where my health information ends up» specifies Crisara.
The doctors of Padua and the province are taking steps to adapt to the changes desired by the Region, within ten days everyone should be fully operational. «The red prescription will not disappear in the short term because a whole series of drugs, diagnostics, tests and specialist visits will have to continue to be prescribed on the old version.
We are ready even if the communication from the local health authorities reached the doctors a few days after mid-August when many were on vacation. The new system is creating doubts and expectations in patients who are then confronted with us.
All this has lengthened the work of doctors and secretariats by at least an hour every day, especially in group medicines where in fact there are three printing methods because depending on the type, the prescription must be printed on a specific and distinct serial printer» declares the doctor.
Meanwhile, Paduan pharmacies have encountered slowdowns in the computer system. The owner of the Ciato pharmacy in via Acquapente in Padua declares: «During the first day, September 1st, we noticed some slowdown probably due to the flow of requests. We have been using the database since May and it has always worked correctly».
Elisa Fais