title: The feasibility of QR-code prescription in Taiwan.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  An ideal Health Care Service is a service system that focuses on patients. Patients in Taiwan have the freedom to fill their prescriptions at any pharmacies contracted with National Health Insurance. Each of these pharmacies uses its own computer system. So far, there are at least ten different systems on the market in Taiwan. To transmit the prescription information from the hospital to the pharmacy accurately and efficiently presents a great issue.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study consisted of two-dimensional applications using a QR-code to capture Patient's identification and prescription information from the hospitals as well as using a webcam to read the QR-code and transfer all data to the pharmacy computer system. Two hospitals and 85 community pharmacies participated in the study.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  During the trial, all participant pharmacies appraised highly of the accurate transmission of the prescription information. The contents in QR-code prescriptions from Taipei area were picked up efficiently and accurately in pharmacies at Taichung area (middle Taiwan) without software system limit and area limitation. The QR-code device received a patent (No. M376844, March 2010) from Intellectual Property Office Ministry of Economic Affair, China.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our trial has proven that QR-code prescription can provide community pharmacists an efficient, accurate and inexpensive device to digitalize the prescription contents. Consequently, pharmacists can offer better quality of pharmacy service to patients.
authors.affiliation: Hui Ning Pharmacy, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: C-H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: F-Y
authors.initials: FY
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: W-L
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: H-W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.forename: M-L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Hu
mesh_terms: D016303:Clinical Pharmacy Information Systems; D003157:Community Pharmacy Services / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D003625:Data Collection; D011307:Drug Prescriptions; D001330:Electronic Data Processing; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D006801:Humans; D009313:National Health Programs / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010595:Pharmacists / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards; D010607:Pharmacy Service, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D024382:Professional Role; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D012984:Software; D013624:Taiwan