This weekend you will not be able to buy medicines with your health card

On the weekend of February 21st and 22nd, the Health Service will be switching its electronic prescription system from the current RELE to SIGMA (Integrated System for Outpatient Medication Management). This transition requires the suspension of the use of the health card for prescribing and obtaining medications during these two days. The change will introduce a series of improvements for patients in terms of interoperability, as well as the quality, safety, and efficiency of the medication prescription process, according to the Government. Medications cannot be collected.

Since medications cannot be collected with the health card during these two days, the Health Service recommends picking them up before or after. However, in emergency cases, medication prescriptions are guaranteed, as doctors will issue paper prescriptions so patients can obtain the necessary medication.

In the case of pensioners in the Balearic Islands who do not pay for electronically prescribed medications, if they go to an emergency room during these two days and need medication, they can subsequently request reimbursement of the cost they had to pay upfront at the pharmacy. The application process is available online at the Balearic Islands Government's Electronic Office (caib.es/seucaib) by searching for 'Pharmacy Expense Reimbursement' in the 'Individuals' tab (a copy of the prescription and invoice must be attached).

What is the new electronic prescription system like?

• The new electronic prescription system, SIGMA, is a web application that integrates the unified management of outpatient treatment, accessible at all levels of care, guaranteeing continuity of treatment from primary care to hospital and social care settings. According to the Health Service, the benefits of this new electronic prescription system are as follows: It will ensure greater security and support when prescribing, because it has tools that facilitate clinical decision-making and promote the rational use of medications.
• It will promote agile communication between professionals, in order to optimize the pharmacological treatment of patients.
• It will enable comprehensive management in the socio-health field by registering the medication prescribed and dispensed in public residential centers to guarantee the safety of its users.
• It will significantly improve continuity of care, as it will ensure that all professionals involved in patient care have a single, up-to-date and shared view of active medication in real time, especially in the processes of hospital discharge, referral and social and healthcare.
• It will promote interoperability within the European Union, under the MyHealth@EU project, since electronically prescribed medicines can be dispensed to other countries.
• Through the future EspaiSalut application, patients will be able to find out what treatments they are following and on what date they can obtain the medications at the pharmacy.
• It will enable the use of the future virtual health card – as an alternative to the printed plastic card – to pick up medications at the pharmacy.

Therefore, this change represents a necessary preliminary step towards achieving significant advances, such as the unified electronic pharmacotherapeutic history of each patient, accessible to any healthcare professional who treats them, or allowing patients to consult their medication information via mobile phone. Further information about this change to the electronic prescription system can be found on the Health Service website.ibsalut.es/sigmaThis improvement is one of the actions included in the Strategic Plan for Transformation, Innovation and Digital Health 2025-2029.