Germany has been pushing a switch to digital prescriptions and records in healthcare. But with a new tech update coming, many doctors offices are facing the loss of digital services such as e-prescriptions and electronic sick notes, it has emerged.
It’s nearly two years since e-prescriptions (known as an ‘e-Rezept’) became mandatory in Germany.
Instead of a paper slip, prescriptions in Germany are added directly to the patient’s health card by a doctor. The patients can then take the card to a pharmacy – or use the E-Rezept app – to pick up their medicine.
In reality though, things haven’t gone smoothly. For instance, pharmacies have complained that prescriptions are sometimes missing from the card, in which case patients are unable to access treatment without a phone call or another visit to the doctor.
Now, a new challenge is on the horizon, and it concerns an update to the technology involved.
READ ALSO: The new rules on digital prescriptions in Germany
At the end of 2025, the current encryption technology, known as RSA 2048 will expire throughout the entire system. From then on, a more modern method called Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) will be in place to ensure greater data security.
However, a huge number of practices across the country are not prepared for the update. According to the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KBV), more than 50,000 electronic health professional cards (eHBA) as well as numerous card terminals and connectors are still not up to date.
‘Digital standstill’
In a letter to the Federal Network Agency, the KBV warns of a “digital standstill”.
Without functional electronic cards, doctors would no longer be able to send e-prescriptions, electronic certificates of incapacity for work (eAU) or doctor’s letters. In practice, this would mean they would have to return to handing out paper forms.
“Such an exclusion of thousands of practices and pharmacies would have serious consequences – also for patients,” the letter states.
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Those who need medication could suddenly have to pick up paper prescriptions from their doctor’s office again. Electronic sick notes to employers and health insurance companies would also be affected. The digital care network, which has only just been established, would collapse in many places,
Chronically ill people, older people and parents of young children would be particularly affected, doctors said.
A patient picks up a digital prescription at a pharmacy in Germany using their health insurance card. Photo: picture alliance/dpa/AKNR/IMAGO/Steffen Schellhorn | Steffen Schellhorn
The KBV is therefore calling for the old RSA cards system to continue to be accepted until at least mid-2026. “This is the only way to avoid chaos and supply problems,” it states.
While countries such as France will continue to allow RSA-2048 until 2030, Germany’s Gematik, which is responsible for telematics infrastructure, is sticking to its schedule for now. It cites requirements from security authorities, stating that the old encryption is simply no longer secure enough.
According to the KBV, whether patients in Germany will receive their prescriptions in paper form again from January 2026 onwards now depends on a decision by the Federal Network Agency.
We’ll make sure to keep you updated.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: thelocal.de
