The stereotype of a doctor’s messy handwriting will soon be a thing of the past in the UAE, as the Ministry of Health and Prevention introduces its ban on handwritten prescriptions.
Doctors in private medical facilities will must issue all prescriptions electronically or on printed receipts within the next six months, the Ministry announced on Monday.
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The new policy will eliminate preventable mistakes and provide reliable statistics and data to help develop the country’s drug policy, said a ministry statement.
“To protect public health, we call on all health facilities licensed by the Ministry of Health to adhere to this circular and work on implementing its provisions in the best possible way,” said Dr Amin Al Amiri, Assistant Undersecretary for Public Health Policy and Licensing at the Department, in a statement.
Additionally, electronic prescriptions prevent the repetition of prescriptions and assist with drug control.
In November, the Ministry announced that it would crack down on pharmacists dispensing antibiotics without prescriptions.