Digital Prescriptions: Join Doctors in Saving Millions of Trees!
July 29, 2022We often leave with a doctor’s prescription when we visit a clinic. Typically, it’s just a piece of paper with notes to help our health. However, although one paper prescription seems minor, a doctor treating many patients can use about five trees yearly for these pads. Therefore, this practice adds up and contributes to a bigger carbon footprint. Thus, even small changes in prescribing can significantly reduce our environmental impact.
Every year, twenty-five lakh trees are cut down worldwide to produce prescription pads. This practice contributes significantly to global warming and climate change. However, what if we say doctors can help create a better future by switching to digital prescriptions? We can reduce our carbon footprint and protect the environment by making this necessary change. Let’s discuss how digital prescriptions can benefit healthcare providers and the planet.
The Ones Showing the Way
E-prescribing may be the latest tech in this part of the world, but it was introduced more than twenty years ago in New Zealand, one of the greenest countries. As part of the NZ Government’s health program, digital prescriptions saw daylight in the nineties.
The earliest use of e-prescribing occurred in the US when the Institute of Medicine recommended it, leading several high-end hospitals to adopt the practice in the 1970s. Additionally, a decade ago, pharmacies took the lead in computerization within healthcare by implementing automated billing systems. Consequently, this progress eventually resulted in the development of basic e-prescribing software.
Government Initiatives Around the World
- Canada: In 2016, the Canadian Government allocated $40 million to Canada Health Infoway for developing a digital prescription system.
- Russia: The Russian government endorsed Project EMIAS, which included electronic Prescriptions. In 2014, Moscow ordered a digital city program that introduced digital prescriptions into the Russian public healthcare system.
- Bangladesh: In Bangladesh, the High Court issued an order stating that doctors must write prescriptions in a readable format. This ruling pushed many doctors to move towards e-prescriptions.
- The UK: NHS England has set a target to go paperless in prescribing methods by the end of 2024. Although it’s an ambitious target, it shows the intent of the UK’s public health authorities to prioritize digital prescription adoption.
- India: The Government of West Bengal is leading the way in e-prescription adoption in India. In 2014, GoWB mandated government-run hospitals issue e-prescriptions.
How Indian Doctors Can Contribute to It
Many doctors with old views ask how digital prescriptions and electronic health records help patient care. However, these tools cut down paper waste and make processes more manageable, which helps both patient health and the planet. So, using digital solutions is vital for a healthier future.
According to research by Kaiser Permanente, a US-based healthcare giant, the benefit of implementing e-prescriptions in 36 hospitals and 454 clinics is equivalent to a reduction of 1.7 million tonnes of CO2 emissions. Now imagine the environmental effect if lakhs of Indian doctors and clinics digitize their prescribing methods.
Benefits of Going Digital
Digital prescriptions help the environment and provide great convenience for doctors and patients. Here are some key benefits of using e-prescription software:
- Safe cloud storage keeps prescriptions safe and reduces losses
- Patients can easily access their prescriptions
- Reduces errors in drug delivery caused by unclear handwriting.
- Quickly check a patient’s medication history
- Pharmacies save time when verifying orders.
- Easily prescribe drugs that fit the patient’s insurance
- Low-cost option compared to custom paper prescriptions
- Instantly notifies clinics and hospitals about patient care plans.
SoftClinic GenX: The Economical Solution
If you’re a doctor in India wanting to change how you prescribe, SoftClinic GenX is the best choice. It offers an affordable and easy way to write prescriptions. Using SoftClinic can help you care for patients and the planet. Switching to digital prescriptions saves money and makes your work easier, benefiting both your practice and the environment.
With SoftClinic GenX, a prescription costs only ₹2. This price is significantly lower than both traditional paper-based prescriptions and computer-printed ones. Moreover, SoftClinic GenX offers additional features, such as prescription emailing, SMS alerts, and automated WhatsApp messages, all at no extra cost.
Wrapping Up!
E-prescribing is here to stay. Digital prescriptions not only prevent pharmacist errors but also prevent hectares of forest from being cut down and converted into paper. SoftClinic GenX is leading the digital prescription revolution in India.
We all need to help fight climate change. If we don’t act, future generations may not have a home. Digital prescriptions are a good way for healthcare workers to make a difference. As a doctor, I welcome this change and help create a better future.