Armenia to sell antibiotics only with electronic prescriptions

YEREVAN, April 10. /ARKA/. Armenia's Deputy Health Minister Artak Jumayan said today that pharmacies would be required to sell some types of medicines only with electronic prescriptions.

Speaking at a press conference he said at the first stage the requirement will apply to antibiotics.

According to the Deputy Minister, this will enable to control the process and the pharmacies won't have the right to sell the medicine without e-prescriptions.

He noted that prescriptions are required for the sale of antibiotics, but the enforcement of the requirement is not controlled enough.

"It will be much easier to control the process electronically. I think there will be a higher level of control, and a rapid response to violations,' he said, adding that violations could be detected through electronic outpatient records, which would also be introduced.

He said the electronic prescription system will be introduced in stages. "Since July last year, as part of a pilot program, medicines received through central procurement are prescribed electronically. Already 800 thousand e-prescriptions have been written out. Today there is not a single outpatient clinic or clinic which doesn't use this system," he said.

Jumayan said that the pilot system was introduced two weeks ago in the outpatient clinic of St. Grigor Lusavorich medical center. Over time, the necessary adjustments will be made to the system, after which it will be introduced in other polyclinics.

Since March 1, 2018 medical prescriptions have been required in Armenia for the sale of psychotropic drugs and antibiotics (antibacterial, antifungal, antimicrobial, antiviral drugs, immune serums and immunoglobulins, vaccines). -0-