Bhubaneswar, Aug 24: The Odisha government is preparing to introduce a digital prescription system to monitor antibiotic use and help tackle the growing problem of antimicrobial resistance.
Pic Credit: Pexel
The proposed system will digitally record medicines prescribed by doctors, along with the recommended duration of treatment. This will allow health authorities to better understand how frequently antibiotics are being prescribed and identify patterns of unnecessary use.
The initiative is expected to be developed under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) through a dedicated application linked to Aarogya Setu 2.0.
Health Minister Mukesh Mahaling said the move towards digital prescriptions would make it easier to monitor medicines prescribed to patients and strengthen efforts to prevent inappropriate antibiotic use.
Under the proposed system, a patient’s prescription history could also help doctors understand previous antibiotic use before deciding whether another course of treatment is required. This could help avoid unnecessary repeat prescriptions.
Antibiotic misuse is a growing public health concern because excessive or inappropriate use can contribute to antimicrobial resistance, making some infections harder to treat.
The digital system could also make medical records easier to access during future consultations, helping doctors make better-informed decisions about treatment.
For patients, maintaining prescription records digitally could reduce the risk of lost prescriptions and improve continuity of care, particularly when they consult different doctors or healthcare facilities.
The Odisha government is expected to work on the technical and implementation aspects of the system before its wider rollout.
The proposed initiative marks a move towards more technology-driven healthcare management in the state, while placing greater emphasis on responsible antibiotic use and patient safety.
