AP: All 64,000 doctors, 30,000 Chemists to register with Govts New CDMS App, generate e-prescriptions

Andhra Pradesh: In an effort to move towards complete digitization of medical practitioners, pharmacies as well as patient health records, the State of Andhra Pradesh is all launch its ambitious project of  Comprehensive Drug Monitoring System (CDMS), that is expected to become the benchmark for medical prescriptions by doctors as well as regulate the sale of medicines in the state.

Under this unique system, the government plans to link the Aadhar number (unique identity number)  of doctors, pharmacies as well as patients with prescriptions in an effort to root out quacks, self-medication, and regulate the over-the-counter sale of medicines.  As per the initiative, all doctors and pharmacists will be registered with the CDMS app, with verification of their Aadhar number and council registrations. Moreover, all medical practitioners will have to use the app to generate e-prescriptions mentioning the patient’s name, mobile or Aadhaar number, medicines advised, and the manufacturer’s name reports Indian Express.

The daily further reports that while generating e-prescriptions, the patient will receive a one time password (OTP) on their cellphone as soon as the doctor makes a digital signature on on the prescription at the app. This OTP, the patient will provide to the pharmacists, while buying the medicines. As soon as the pharmacist enters the OTP, they will see the prescription and sell those medicines. This way only valid prescriptions digitally signed by registered medical practitioners shall be honored. In case, the patient does not have a mobile phone, he or she can provide his Aadhaar number for the chemist to verify identity

What CDMS project will imply for Doctors

The ambitious project aims to solve a number of issues through the medium of digitization. Only qualified allopathic medical practitioners, registered with the Andhra Pradesh Medical Council and pharmacists registered with the Pharmacists’ Council will given registration under the app. The move is also aimed at regulating the systems of prescriptions and control the practice of irrational prescription of antibiotics. The app will host details of 65,000 registered doctors  who only will have the access and the right to generate e-prescriptions and minimize prescription errors.

What CDMS means for Chemists

Apart from weeding out the fake medical practitioners and quacks the digitization drive will also remove the unlicensed pharmacists from healthcare system. The app contain details over 30,000 licensed pharmacies, as well as only those pharmacists who are registered with the Pharmacists Council will be given access to the app officials informed Indian Express.

The department is currently focusing on the nitty gritties of the model. With complete digitization , each strip of each medicine of each manufacturer will be up for analysis, enabling the government to weed out spurious drugs and recall batches of medicines in case of fault or adverse drug reactions

What CDMS means for patients

The move is directed towards complete digitization of health records.  The News Minute reports that  the government is planning to link the system to the Smart Pulse Survey database that already has all the details of 4.8 crore people living in Andhra Pradesh, including their Aadhaar details and mobile numbers. With the complete dispensation of health records, the government will also be in a position to study and tackle the disease burden in different parts of the state.

The cost of the project is pegged at Rs 1.2 crore.