Challenges of implementing electronic prescribing: a case study of a developing country

Background Electronic prescribing (E-prescribing) is one of the helpful technologies used in healthcare organizations since it provides complete patient information and helps to avoid prescription errors. We aimed to evaluate the present state of E-prescribing in Iran and identify its process and software flaws in this study. Methods Semi-structured interviews with several user groups, health system executives, and patients were used to conduct this qualitative study in 2022. After the interviews were conducted, the MAXQDA 11 was used to code and build the major themes and sub-themes. Results According to the interviews, shortcomings in the E-prescribing process include a lack of appropriate culture, poor management, a lack of support for service providers, a lack of physician cooperation, frequent system interruptions, the imposition of extra duties on pharmacies, and a failure to pay attention to underprivileged areas. Moreover, the software has a number of flaws, notably inconsistent coding, a lack of coverage for some medicines, the inability to keep up with an increase in workload, the difficulty to connect some older systems to the latest one, and a lack of user-friendliness. Conclusions Despite the country's E-prescribing system improving day by day, its effective implementation requires ongoing interaction with all stakeholders, listening to their ideas, and resolving any current problems or obstacles as quickly as feasible.