YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 29, ARMENPRESS. Starting on March 1st, 470 medications will be accessible for purchase in Armenia via electronic prescriptions, a decision approved by the Armenian government during its February 29 session, as reported by Armenpress.

Deputy Minister of Health, Artak Jumayan, introduced the draft decision proposing amendments and additions to the decision of the RA Government issued on August 15, 2019. It has been highlighted that the project suggests implementing electronic prescribing for a range of medications, including anti-infective, antibiotic, antifungal, antimicrobial, antiviral drugs, immune serums, immunoglobulin, vaccines, and misoprostol drugs. According to the project authors, this initiative aims to reduce self-medication, improve the delivery of high-quality, effective, and targeted medical care, and foster greater public awareness and oversight.

The implementation of electronic prescriptions presents an opportunity to monitor and regulate the delivery process of medication to patients, with the project having been developed following extensive discussions involving all stakeholders.

The pilot project has been underway since July 2022. Initially, it included 75 names of centrally procured drugs for 12 diseases. Currently, 470 drugs are available for purchase with an electronic prescription, including 395 free or on preferential terms, along with 75 drugs mentioned earlier. This accounts for roughly 20 percent of the 3,370 registered drugs in Armenia. Additionally, prescriptions will now be based on the active substance rather than the brand name.

Starting from January 1, 2025, an additional 2,566 drugs will be offered in this manner. The deputy minister noted that the remaining drugs may not necessarily be prescribed.