The government announced today that the people can buy cheaper medicines from selected government pharmacies and local government units (LGUs) of the country which is according to what I have seen on the news today. Aside from this, the only improvement in the medical services of the government that I have known as of today is the Cheaper Medicine Bill (this was only passed on the lower house but not yet put into law). One thing that I think that will improve the medical services in the country will be the implementation of e-prescribing.
E-prescribing is a modern method for physicians in prescribing medicines. Through this, doctors will make the prescription electronically to the pharmacist rather than the usual practice which is scribling it in a piece of paper. Actually this method was already introduced in the US. Medicare (US federal health insurance program for the elderly and disabled) persuade physicians to use this method by giving incentives to those who prescribe electronically rather than paper. This incentives will start by January 1, 2009 and will be fully imposed by 2012 in the U.S.
If in case this will be imposed in the country (maybe 5 years after 2012 🙂 ), it will improve efficiency and reduce medical errors. Medical records will be computerized and fast diagnosis will be one of the results of this medical improvement. However the implementation will be delayed for a couple of years, in my opinion, due to “acceptance” factor in the part of our physicians in the country and the availability of the technology (both hardware and software). Well, what can you say about this? Is it possible to be implemented in the Philippines? Let me here your opinion by leaving your comments / feedback here.
You can read more about the implementation of e-prescribing in the US from this Reuter’s article: http://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUSTRE4BG5KG20081217.