06/04/2016

ESTEVE AND SEFAC, RECOGNISED BY THE CORREO FARMACÉUTICO AWARDS

The document entitled Analysis of the Use of Electronic Prescriptions in Community Pharmacies, produced by the Spanish Family and Community Pharmacy Society (SEFAC) together with ESTEVE, has been recognised as one of the Best Pharmacy Initiatives of the Year in the Management area of the awards given by this newspaper every year.

This Analysis provides a complete overview of the situation of electronic prescriptions in the different autonomous communities in Spain from the point of view of Public Administrations, Pharmaceutical Colleges, community pharmacies and pharmaceutical care. For this reason Correo Farmacéutico has decided to select the report as one of the Best Pharmacy Initiatives of 2015, specifically in the Management area. This award was given at an event held on 4 April at Teatros del Canal in Madrid.

The main conclusion of the document produced by SEFAC and ESTEVE is that electronic prescriptions are a technological tool with great potential but, a decade after their implementation, they have become highly developed in administrative terms but are still relatively undeveloped in health and care terms.

The Analysis highlights the fact that, although electronic prescriptions have put an end to the problems of legibility, in Spain there are several models that are not standardised or compatible and useful information cannot be recorded on the clinical history in order to improve treatment, prevent drug-related problems or ensure effective prescription. Nor are any data provided on treatments underway at the time or on previous prescriptions and only half the electronic prescriptions permit communication between healthcare professionals, this communication not being immediate and limited to General Practitioners.

Finally, the document also provides a number of proposals to improve several areas, such as access to information, two-way fluent electronic communication between the pharmacist and the rest of the healthcare professionals, convergence between the different models and the complete recording of all drugs prescribed, among other suggestions.
The Correo Farmacéutico awards for the Best Pharmacy Initiatives of the Year recognise initiatives from the sector carried out by pharmaceutical professionals that work to benefit patients and represent an advance for the profession. These awards include 6 different categories: Pharmaceutical Policy and Legal Initiatives; Profession and Ethics; Pharmaceutical Care and Health Education; Research, Pharmacology and Products, Management; Training and Charitable Projects and Sponsorship.

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