Paper prescriptions allowed until March 1

In Uzbekistan, the use of paper-based prescriptions for medicines has been allowed until March 1, 2026. This is stated in the order of the Minister of Health, which came into force on December 16 and approves the procedure for the phased introduction of the “Electronic Prescription” system.

The document defines the procedure for the gradual rollout of the electronic prescription system in all medical institutions in Tashkent and in 15 districts (cities) where the pilot project is being implemented.

According to the document:

• A prescription is a written instruction from a doctor to a specialist with pharmaceutical training to prepare and/or dispense a medicine and to indicate how it should be used.
• An electronic prescription is a doctor’s instruction to a specialist with pharmaceutical training, recorded and confirmed in electronic form, containing information about the medicine (international nonproprietary name or brand name, preparation, daily dose, method of administration or dispensing, quantity, and duration of use).

The paper prescription form will have a standardized format.

Based on the medical significance of medicines, social risks, potential for abuse, and practical demand, an expert council will gradually determine groups of medicines to be dispensed via electronic prescriptions.

At the first stage of prescribing medicines by electronic prescription, the following groups of medicines will be issued exclusively through electronic prescriptions:

– antibiotics and systemically acting synthetic antibacterial medicines;
– systemically acting hormonal medicines.

If, within the first stage, medicines that are subject to electronic prescription are prescribed to patients, they must be issued via an electronic prescription. If medicines dispensed by electronic or paper prescription are prescribed at the same time, all of them may be оформed through an electronic prescription.

During treatment, if a patient needs medicines that are not available at the medical institution, the doctor is allowed to issue a prescription for them.

In subsequent stages, prescription-only medicines will be transferred to the electronic prescription system according to the groups determined by the expert council. Information on the groups of medicines to be transferred to electronic prescriptions, the stages of implementation, and the timelines will be published on the website of the Ministry of Health.

Earlier, it was reported that the electronic prescription system had been introduced in Tashkent and in 15 districts (cities), and the Ministry of Health explained how the list of medicines issued by electronic prescription would be formed.