Kazakhstan's Ministry of Health plans to digitize the process of obtaining prescription medicines. The move covers free drugs dispensed under the guaranteed volume of free medical care (GBMP), and authorities are also exploring the option of dispensing prescription medicines via QR code, the website infohub.kz reports.
Under a new draft order, Kazakh citizens will be able to collect their medicines at pharmacies by presenting a QR code for an electronic prescription through eGov Mobile, mobile banking apps or the Social Wallet.
At the same time, oversight of dispensing will be tightened. For paper prescriptions, patients will be identified, and pharmacists will be required to confirm the dispensing of each package with their electronic digital signature (EDS).
How exactly Kazakh citizens will be identified at pharmacies has not yet been disclosed.
The ministry believes patients will find it easier and faster to collect their medicines, without unnecessary paperwork. On the other hand, it notes that dispensing medicines this way will become more transparent, ensuring that free drugs reach the patients who actually need them.
The provisions of the draft order are to be discussed until October 16. If the new rules win approval, they will soon come into use.
In early September, it emerged that tens of thousands of free medicines were being sold in Kazakh pharmacies. The large-scale scheme was reportedly uncovered only thanks to digital labeling of medicines.
Earlier, Kursiv wrote that SK Pharmacy launched a new service in Telegram and WhatsApp for recipients of free medicines.
It also reported how to check maximum prices for medicines and where to complain about pharmacy markups.