Determinanten der Implementierung einer elektronischen Rezeptanwendung – eine qualitative Studie

Background From January 2022, physicians in Germany are obliged to issue prescriptions electronically. The so-called e-prescription is considered to play a key role to promote the digital connection within the healthcare sector. The aim of the study was to identify barriers and positive factors for the use of e-prescriptions for doctors and pharmacists, based on experience gathered from the „GERDA“ project. Methods Doctors and pharmacists from Schleswig-Holstein and BadenWürttemberg with different experiences with e-prescriptions were interviewed using a semi-structured interview guide. The interviews were analyzed by using the qualitative content analysis by Mayring. Results A total of 26 participants were interviewed (mean = 54.3 years; SD = 8.9; min: 30 y., max: 71 y.), the proportion of female participants was 33 %. The interviewees considered the connection to the electronic patient file (ePA) and the associated improved patient safety as a major advantage of e-prescriptions. Among other things, a reimbursement of the pending acquisition costs for hardware and software was beneficial. However, participants considered the threat of losing free choice of pharmacies through the convenient transmission of prescriptions to the foreign mail order businesses as a barrier. To resolve existing legal gray areas, the elimination of faxed prescriptions was named, which could result in time advantages for the patients. Conclusions Despite many concerns, the respondents appraised advantages using e-prescriptions, especially with regard to a better network of doctors and pharmacists. The next step is to accompany the planned introduction in January 2022 to be able to respond to changes in patient behavior and needs.