SOUTH AFRICA— Essential Medical Guidance (EMGuidance), has launched PrescriBIT, an e-scripting mobile application, that will transform the way prescriptions are managed and shared in South Africa.
EMGuidance is an established digital platform that supports clinical decision-making in South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa.
The digital healthcare platform has aimed to optimize patient care outcomes by providing access to advanced digital tools, the latest diagnostics and treatment protocols, education, and local medical guidance across the healthcare ecosystem.
According to EMGuidance it currently has 57,000 registered users in South Africa making it one of the largest and most engaged online platforms for healthcare providers in the country.
Their e-scripting solution, PrescriBIT, is objectively geared to reduce workflows for healthcare providers and pharmacies while making medication safer, more cost-effective, and easier to collect for patients.
The application will allow doctors to quickly generate digital prescriptions from an app or a PC and thus improve accuracy, time-saving, improved patient safety and compliance, and increased efficiency.
On the other hand, the dispensing agency will benefit from scripts having a trackable history, more efficient workflows, and a decrease in dispensing errors.
Dispensing errors are common especially when pharmacists can’t read the script or misread it in terms of the actual medication or strength.
The developers argue that with e-scripting there is no chance of a translocation error.
The application developers contend that the tool is good news for cash-strapped consumers as well as it will automatically checking medical schemes and pricing information at the point of prescribing.
Evidently, doctors can see if certain medicines are covered by the patient’s medical aid if there is a co-payment involved, and how much the script could cost the patient in real terms.
The system will also suggest cheaper alternatives or generics where possible and appropriate, and the doctor can then adjust their scripts accordingly.
The Legality of E-scripting
Currently, some healthcare professionals across South Africa share scripts across WhatsApp, email, and other means.
In most cases the legality of such methods is in question since to be legal, a prescription must be signed either in person or in the case of a digital script, using what is called an Advanced Electronic Signature (AES).
PrescriBITs will use AES and hence its scripts will be legally compliant with legislation.
Hence it will fulfill the legal requirements for an electronic prescription as outlined in Regulation 33 of the General Regulations of The Medicines Act.
The e-scripting revolution
EMGuidance notes that these scripts will be immutably trackable, and pharmacists can safely accept and dispense all schedules digitally.
Doctors will also easily track their patients’ prescriptions, ensuring their patients are receiving the care they need.
Understandably, patients can view the list of prescribed medications, but they cannot edit, or print the full prescription, which mitigates the risk of script tampering and fraud.
However, the digital script gives them the autonomy to choose their dispensary themselves and in the case of repeat scripts, to change dispensaries every month, if they choose, without any further admin or effort.
Dr. Mohammed Dalwai, co-founder, and chief product officer at EMGuidance, said PrescriBIT solved several of the issues facing the South African medical industry.
The Doctor cum medical technopreneur noted the app will save on rising healthcare costs, the need for greater transparency in the sector, and the ability to reduce drug errors and deliver improved patient outcomes.
Dr. Dalwai said, “The world of medicines is in a state of constant change, with new drugs, science, and data around the safety and efficacy of medicines emerging almost daily, not to mention changing scheme rules.”
Dr. Yaseen Khan, co-founder and CEO at EMGuidance said, “In an era marked by the rapid digitization of healthcare, the launch of this tool is a major milestone in improving patient care and data security.”
Dr. Khan considered that with the smart use of technology, healthcare providers and pharmacies can now operate with greater peace of mind, knowing that patients are getting the safest, most cost-effective treatment possible,
“As digital tools gain traction across the healthcare landscape, ‘clinically smart’ technologies driven by local data will be key in addressing our unique healthcare and economic challenges, and can help transform the entire sector,” said Dr Khan.
Easing doctor-pharmacist dynamic to improve patient outcomes
Medicalacademic.co argues that after a patient’s diagnosis, a medical prescription is issued with the digital version of this process is known as e-scripting.
Tools such as PrescriBIT or iCanScript from CGM South Africa are e-scripting platform that makes use of Advanced Electronic Signature (AES) for a quick, easy, and secure prescription platform that streamlines the prescription process.
Doctors can now create a digital script and sign it with a password or PIN using their personal AES.
The patient then selects an e-script-enabled pharmacy from the doctor’s application, to which the e-script is routed.
The pharmacist prepares the prescription, and the medication is ready for collection.
The doctor receives an electronic notification once the medicine has been dispensed to ensure knowledge of the patient’s medication compliance.
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