Table 3.
Problems with the availability of medication and ambiguities or errors in cross-border electronic prescriptions (CBePs) reported by Estonian (N=84) and Finnish (N=154) respondents.
|
|
Estonian respondents, n (%)a | Finnish respondents, n (%)a | P value | ||||
| Problems with CBePs in terms of the availability of medication | |||||||
|
|
Medication with the same active ingredient unavailable in the market | 49 (58.3) | 17 (11) | <.001 | |||
|
|
Medication with the same strength unavailable in the market | 48 (57.1) | 16 (10.4) | <.001 | |||
|
|
Equivalent package size unavailable in the market | 29 (34.5) | 30 (19.5) | .48 | |||
|
|
Medication with the same formulation unavailable in the market | 27 (32.1) | 12 (7.8) | .02 | |||
|
|
Pharmacy currently does not have the medication in stock | 22 (26.2) | 13 (8.4) | .22 | |||
|
|
Otherb | 6 (7.1) | 1 (0.6) | N/Ac | |||
| Ambiguities or errors in CBePs | |||||||
|
|
Incorrect pharmaceutical form | 23 (27.4) | 8 (5.2) | <.001 | |||
|
|
Incorrect strength | 21 (25) | 13 (8.4) | .01 | |||
|
|
Differences in ATCd codes between countriese | 17 (20.2) | 17 (11) | .37 | |||
|
|
Incorrect total amount of medication | 15 (17.9) | 21 (13.6) | .78 | |||
|
|
Unclear or incorrect dosage instructions | 14 (16.7) | 19 (12.3) | .87 | |||
|
|
Missing dosage instructions | 12 (14.3) | 4 (2.6) | .006 | |||
|
|
Incorrect medication | 3 (3.6) | 5 (3.2) | .72 | |||
|
|
Weight of child (aged <12 years) missing | 2 (2.4) | 1 (0.6) | .42 | |||
|
|
Missing notation of exceptional dosage instructions or exceptional purpose of use | N/A | 3 (1.9) | N/A | |||
|
|
Otherf | 10 (11.9) | 18 (11.7) | N/A | |||
aRespondents may have chosen several answer options.
bOther examples were related to limitations in dispensing cross-border electronic prescriptions and patients’ knowledge on cross-border electronic prescriptions.
cN/A: not applicable.
dATC: anatomical therapeutic chemical.
eDifferences in anatomical therapeutic chemical codes occur because Estonia uses unique anatomical therapeutic chemical codes for combination products (information received from O Laius, PhD [email, February 10, 2021]).
fOther examples were mostly related to availability of medications and limitations in dispensing cross-border electronic prescriptions (eg, psychotropic drugs).