Medical e-prescriptions have recently been issued by doctors of Al Jazira Hospital, as part of its efforts to switch over to e-work, putting an end to pharmacists' complaints about illegible handwriting on prescriptions.

Mohammed Abdullah Al Dhaheri, Director of Al Jazira and Central hospitals, said the move was taken to speed up the normally time-consuming process and to improve the quality of medical services.

In and outpatient clinics and the hospital's various sections were linked to a computer network. Computer systems were installed in the hospital's wings, rooms and all other sections in the hospital, said Al Dhaheri.

Intensive training courses were also held for the medical staff to acquaint them with the new system, as well as to educate them on how to put down information, said Al Dhaheri.

The doctors of Al Jazira Hospital were prepared earlier and trained to put down the information needed and access the medical records of their patients through the computer, before the issuance of e-prescriptions.

Now doctors will open the patient's medical record via their computers linked with the hospital's computer network, and read the medical history of the patient. Then they will prescribe the medication required in the patient's file and take a print out.

Under the new system, doctors must write the scientific names of the medicines prescribed for their patients instead of the trade names.