1. ePrescript Presentation : Presentation : Bernard Wathelet - MediBRIDGE

2. ePrescript is … ePrescript is … an European project submitted to EC under the eTen programme; –Co-finance Market validation projects –Co-finance Deployment projects –Co-finance Support and Co-ordination projects

3. The objective is to market validate two complementary e- Prescription prototypes: ePrescribe and eTranscript, in three European markets, Belgium, Ireland and Poland

4. ePrescribe offers the possibility to Health Care Professionals to compose prescriptions on-line using an updated drug database (which can be daily updated) as well as tools enabling drug decision support (dosage and allergy control, drug interactions, equivalence search) offering at the same time access to scientific background information and patient notices

5. eTranscript offers the prescribers, using an Electronic Healthcare Record system and integrated decision support and ePrescribe, the possibility to send their prescriptions to a secure prescription pool server, accessible by pharmacies, who can download prescriptions as well as give, with the consent of the patient, feedback to the prescriber

6. Different scenarios  prescription is sent indirectly to the pharmacy  prescription is sent directly to the pharmacy  prescription is stored on a chip card or memory stick

7. Other Objectives Investigate and analyze the legal framework and issues for the full deployment of ePrescription Obtain user feedback on service value Assess, review and validate the pilot demonstration ePrescript services through workshops, seminars, peer review and focus groups Promote and encourage active involvement of all relevant stakeholders and particularly prescribers, pharmacies, patients and healthcare authorities.

8. Other Objectives (2) Identify barriers, inhibitors and obstacles for sustainable growth of ePrescript services in Europe Survey existing market and identify business evidence regarding viability, sustainability and potential growth of ePrescript Contributing towards the improvement of quality of the medicinal prescriptions as such and as part of the process of delivering and administrating medicinal products to patient Synergies with other initiatives in other EU countries

9. Advantages of ePrescription Better protection from accidents caused by hand-written prescriptions being misread or incomplete, leading to the dispensing of a wrong medicinal product and/or incorrect dose specification Higher professional competence and cost awareness through access to up-to-date interactive Drug Databases Reducing the number of call-backs from pharmacies regarding illegible prescriptions, potential drug interactions, and incorrect dosages. Enhanced stock management …..

10. Possible Threat/hurdles towards ePrescription Regulatory constraints and gaps Professional competition Big Brother fear Lack of an acceptable level of penetration and use of IT in both primary and secondary care, in ancillary services as well as by pharmacists Lack on agreement on semantic tags and syntax Security, Confidentiality and Privacy issues …..

11. Schedule-Length-Budget Project should start in February/March 2006 Length : 18 months Co-funding: 1,25 Mio € 12 partners : –4 from Belgium: MediBRIDGE Omegasoft Medical Omegasoft Wallonie Commission “Normes en matières télématique dans le secteur des soins de santé” –4 from Ireland –4 from Poland

12. Thank you ! bernard.wathelet@be.cmpmedica.com