SaS: Szalay: Changes in ePrescriptions Taking Slovakia Back to Past

Bratislava, January 3 (TASR) - The changes in e-prescribing represent a step backwards, significantly disrupting the functioning of doctors' surgeries, stated opposition Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) member and MP Tomas Szalay and SaS leader Branislav Groehling at a press conference on Friday. "Why can't we [members of Parliament] meet in mid-January and correct this foolish mistake by the government via a fast-tracked legislative procedure?" asked Szalay, a member of the House health affairs committee. Szalay proposed that medicines that aren't covered by public health insurance should be temporarily reimbursed at a rate of one cent per medicine. "As soon as that drug is at least covered to the tune of one cent by public health insurance, it will have to go through ePrescription, and we'll have resolved the problem at least for the contracted doctors who prescribe such medicines," he explained. According to Szalay, another solution could be a temporary easing of the bureaucratic requirements for prescribing paper prescriptions, such as the specific form or serial number colour that doctors are required to maintain. Groehling added that while the entire world is is moving forward, only Slovakia under the government of Robert Fico (Smer-SD) is moving backwards. "We'll once again ask our partners to initiate the process of a no-confidence motion in this government," he stated. In January, an amendment to the National Health-care Information System Act came into force. The possibility of issuing e-prescriptions for some medicines has been scrapped. This is the case, for example, for medicines whose cost is fully reimbursed by patients. The Health Ministry explained that, in view of the technical-legislative need for the modification, there was a need to respect European Union law on the protection of personal data in relation to the electronic prescription service (ePrescription). It declared that it was addressing the situation in order to reduce the impact on the public as soon as possible. The Health Ministry, health-insurance companies and the National Health Information Centre (NCZI) have agreed to initiate a legislative process to correct the changes in e-prescriptions by the end of March at the latest. lin/df