Why do Belgian Community Pharmacists Still Treat Electronic Prescriptions as Paper-Based?

Belgium is in a transition phase from paper-based prescriptions to electronic prescriptions (ePrescriptions) during which both the paper and electronic format are valid. Since patients still get a paper proof of the ePrescription, sometimes pharmacists use the ePrescription as paper-based prescription. When the government demands a complete dematerialization, i.

Electronic Prescriptions: Why Community Pharmacists Still Treat Them as Paper-Based?

Belgium is in a transition from paper-based prescriptions to electronic prescriptions (ePrescriptions). Since patients still receive a paper proof of the ePrescription, this proof is sometimes used as a paper-based prescription. In this study, the frequency of incorrect use of the paper proof was evaluated and possible reasons for incorrect use were hypothesized.

Implementing an electronic medication overview in Belgium.

Background: An accurate medication overview is essential to reduce medication errors. Therefore, it is essential to keep the medication overview up-to-date and to exchange healthcare information between healthcare professionals and patients. Digitally shared information yields possibilities to improve communication.

Detecting pre-diabetes and the role of the pharmacist.

Objective: This study aims to use a pharmacoepidemiological approach to study the drug use of patients during the year prior to diabetes diagnosis (i.e. pre-diabetic patients) and control patients.

Cardiovascular drug use prior to diagnosis of diabetes: a pilot study in community pharmacy.

Objectives: The literature indicates that cardiovascular drug use is higher during the years prior to diagnosis of type 2 diabetes mellitus. As there are pharmaco-epidemiological and economic consequences of enhanced medication use prior to diagnosis of diabetes, there is a need for a comparative analysis of the drug-use pattern by patients with a subsequent diagnosis of diabetes and control patients. This pilot study aimed to investigate cardiovascular drug use in patients with a subsequent diagnosis of diabetes using data extracted from 200 community pharmacies in the Belgian township of Hasselt.