North Rhine-Westphalia: 250 practices are present at the start of the e-prescription

Dortmund (dpa / lnw) - The gradual introduction of the e-prescription in the doctor's offices in Westphalia-Lippe begins on Thursday.

North Rhine-Westphalia: 250 practices are present at the start of the e-prescription

Dortmund (dpa / lnw) - The gradual introduction of the e-prescription in the doctor's offices in Westphalia-Lippe begins on Thursday. Around 250 practices are there at the start, as the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians of Westphalia-Lippe (KVWL) announced on Wednesday. In the coming months, the number of participants is to be gradually increased.

With electronic prescriptions, those with statutory health insurance no longer receive a pink slip of paper, but a code on their smartphone with which they can obtain the desired drug from the pharmacy. If you don't have the app you need or don't use a smartphone, you get the code printed out on a piece of paper. From 2023, it should also be possible to redeem e-prescriptions with the electronic health card.

However, the e-prescription starts in Westphalia-Lippe with the handbrake on, so to speak. "In the first few weeks, the rollout practices will only be able to create a paper printout," said KVWL board member Thomas Müller. However, the KVWL expects the semi-public company Gematik, which is responsible for introducing the electronic health card, the Federal Ministry of Health and the pharmacy management system manufacturers, that the e-prescription can be transferred and redeemed with the electronic health card in three months at the latest.