Further development of digital offerings
Alloga migrated other partners to the new ERP system while HCI Solutions programmed a digital interface for COVID-19 tests and vaccinations. A pilot project on the electronic transfer of prescriptions was also launched.
Net sales development
“Logistics & IT Services” generated net sales of CHF 50.5 million (+4.4%) in the first half of 2021. Alloga and HCI Solutions as well as internal Group IT services contributed to this result.
ERP roll-out ongoing
Work on the roll-out of the ERP system progressed at Alloga: well-known pharmaceutical partners could be integrated into the new system.
HCI Solutions programmes interface for coronavirus tests and vaccinations
HCI Solutions’ activities were also strongly defined by COVID-19 in the period under review. Documedis®, the software for doctors and pharmacies, was approved by the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) as a reporting solution for coronavirus tests and vaccinations, whereupon HCI Solutions programmed the corresponding interfaces for the software connection. Since then, pharmacies and medical practices have been able to use the two new functions “Documedis® VAC” and “Documedis® Rapid Test” to capture patient data for vaccinations and tests, print confirmations and transmit the corresponding data to the relevant authorities at the touch of a button.
New features in Documedis®
In the period under review, Documedis® was expanded with the addition of several functions, including those relating to primary outpatient medical care and the calculation of liver and kidney insufficiency and body mass index.
These new software functions are certified as medical devices, which is a major advantage given the EU regulation on medical devices implemented in Switzerland in May 2021: This means that other IT solutions no longer need to be certified separately if they are based on the already certified Documedis® solutions.
Pilot project on the electronic transfer of prescriptions
The e-prescription is an important driver of the mail-order pharmacy because it enables the entire procedure to take place digitally and marks another contribution for patient safety.
Doctors still write prescriptions out by hand or print them on paper and sign them with their legally valid signature. Since 1 January 2020, the Ordinance on Medicinal Products (VAM) has permitted prescriptions to be transmitted electronically. This requires patients to be allowed to choose the pharmacy from which they wish to obtain the medication.
Following on from its preparatory work, HCI Solutions launched a pilot project on the reliable and secure electronic transmission of prescriptions in the first half of 2021. The corresponding IT solution “E-prescription” (“E-Rezept”) was developed by HCI Solutions and its partner company AD Swiss Net. Medi24, Switzerland’s leading telemedicine provider, is the first medical practice to participate in this pilot project.
Once the patient has given their consent, the Medi24 team issues an electronic prescription. The patient then selects the pharmacy that receives the encrypted e-prescription. The three pharmacy formats Amavita, Sun Store and Coop Vitality and the specialty pharmacy Mediservice are currently participating in this pilot project.