Romania to roll out e-prescription in June and national health card in August

Romanian doctors will use the electronic prescription from June this year, and Romanians will receive the national health card from August, which, it is claimed, will save the health system EUR 200 million, previously lost due to fraud. “By introducing the new electronic prescription and the national health card we hope to recover between EUR 150 million and EUR 200 million for the system, that was lost because of fraud,” said Lucian Duţă, the head of Romania's Health Insurance House (CNAS).

The electronic system will eliminate the deficiencies in the system on the drug market. Out of CNAS' EUR 4 billion budget, EUR 3 billion is allocated to hospitals and to paying for subsidized drugs. Subsidized drugs alone have a budget of up to EUR 1.4 billion, while the remainder of EUR 1 billion covers expenses with doctors' salaries, labs, medical devices. “Probably in a year or two a major decision will be needed in the system,” the head of CNAS warned. The system is under financed, as Romanians pay EUR 200 for health, while Hungarians, EUR 800 and Germans, up to EUR 3,000, but a tighter control of the system is also called for, he added. Hewlett Packard Romania will supply the IT solutions for Romania’s e-prescription system under a EUR 10.3 million contract. HP won the bid with the Romanian National Insurance House (CNAS), beating bids from Asesoft International and Teamnet International, Indras Sistemas and Total Soft, Q’Net International, Crescendo International and Capgemini Services. HP will develop software, provide programming and software consultancy, develop personalized software and system programming. The contract, expected to last for six months, will be funded with European money. It is claimed that insurance houses, doctors, pharmacies and insured patients will benefit from the program. HP and Novensys Corporation will work with Romania’s National Health Insurance House on another project, the electronic health insurance card, in a contract worth some EUR 25 million. editor@romania-insider.com