Andorra Health Minister Announces Electronic Prescription Pilot in 10 Days

Health Minister Helena Mas has announced that a pilot test for the new electronic prescription system could begin within the next ten days as part of efforts to update medical prescribing processes.

In an interview with the Andorran News Agency (ANA), Mas stated that the government is finalising a revised version of the electronic prescribing platform. The trial aims to evaluate its performance in a real-world setting before rolling it out to all healthcare professionals. This initial phase will identify areas for refinement ahead of full deployment after the summer.

Mas described the electronic prescription as a significant advancement over the current setup. Rather than just providing access via a mobile device, it fully incorporates prescription data into patients' clinical records. Healthcare staff—including pharmacy technicians, nurses and doctors—will be able to review a patient's prescribed medications, helping to prevent duplicates or dosing mistakes.

The system promises direct benefits for patient safety by improving coordination among specialists. It would stop multiple physicians from issuing overlapping treatments without knowledge of the overall regimen, for instance. Pharmacies will link directly to the platform to check if a drug has already been dispensed, remains active or has expired.

Such connectivity should also boost overall healthcare efficiency, Mas noted. She acknowledged the project's challenges, requiring seamless alignment across prescribing and dispensing operations. The systems must prove agile, dependable and secure.

A key hurdle involved building Andorra's own electronic prescription tool, incorporating around 30,000 medications—roughly 10,000 Spanish and 17,000 French. Developed entirely within the country's shared clinical records framework, the in-house approach prioritises integration and adaptability to local needs.

Although off-the-shelf options from other regions were considered, officials chose to build on an existing module. This handles complex elements like drug formats, dosing guidelines, potential interactions and treatment lengths. Mas highlighted Andorra's unusually extensive pharmaceutical catalogue as a distinguishing feature.