In “Fakty” TVN we have repeatedly informed about problems with issuing e-prescriptions after the Ministry of Health changed the regulations on prescribing narcotic and psychotropic drugs on August 2. The problem was supposed to be solved, but it turns out that the one who has access to the website biuro.gov.pl, having a PESEL number, can know everything about the drugs ever prescribed to a given person. The President of the Supreme Medical Council talks about a serious threat to patient safety and notifies the Minister of Digitization on this matter.
The editorial staff of “Fakty” TVN received information that every doctor can easily check the data of each patient on the government website, biuro.gov.pl. Now that there are almost no paper prescriptions, doctors write us prescriptions on this site. In theory, on this site, the doctor was supposed to check the data of his patients only, and only with their consent. In practice, he can check anyone he wants – without their knowledge. It is enough for him to have his PESEL number. It is thanks to it that the doctor can learn the patient’s name, surname, address and find out what medications he takes, when they were discharged and even when they were purchased. It is easy to determine what a patient is suffering from.
The fact that the problem exists was confirmed together with the president of the Supreme Medical Council, Łukasz Jankowski. – I can’t believe that something like this can even function – says Łukasz Jankowski, president of the Supreme Medical Council. “I believe this is a threat to patient safety,” he added.
Since when and why are the data of all Poles available for viewing on the website biuro.gov.pl? The Minister of Health, Katarzyna Sójka, declined to comment on the matter.
According to Dr. Jakub Kosikowski from the Supreme Medical Council, sensitive information about patients appeared on the portal less than two weeks ago. – On the seventh (August – editor’s note) I personally had a problem with issuing the drug to the patient and I was informed that there would be such an option with this stamp. She entered on the eighth or ninth, because I finally gave the patient the drug on the tenth, thanks to this option – says Jakub Kosikowski from the Supreme Medical Council.
It’s about a box that can be ticked in the system: consent obtained from the patient or life-threatening situation. Thanks to this option, the problems of doctors with writing e-prescriptions for narcotics and psychotropic substances were to end.
Katarzyna Sójka replaced Adam Niedzielski. What led to the resignation of the Minister of Health?Marek Nowicki/Fakty TVN
Dominoes of errors
The whole problem with e-prescriptions has begun On August 2, when the Ministry of Health quickly, without preparation, changed the regulations on writing prescriptions for opioid and psychotropic drugs. As a result, many patients have lost access to medicines.
Adam Niedzielski denied for a week, until the day of his resignation, that the problem even existed. He also revealed what drugs the doctor Piotr Pisula from Poznań who criticized him in the material of “Fakty” TVN was taking. Now it turns out that in fixing one mistake – he made another fatal one.
– This button is generally needed, but in such a form that the “peeped” (patient – editor’s note) has no supervision over being watched, it is simply a breach and a threat.
When checking the operation of the system, we used two PESEL numbers with the consent of their owners. The President of the Supreme Medical Council has already informed the Minister of Digitization, Janusz Cieszyński, about the problem in the office.gov.pl system.
Main photo source: TVN facts