La receta médica digital impulsada por la ministra de Salud, Mary Munive, genera cuestionamientos de médicos y especialistas por posibles riesgos a la privacidad de los pacientes y el acceso a medicamentos, un tema que ya analiza la Sala Constitucional.
According to Dr. Edgar Carrillo, a specialist in health policies, the implementation of digital medical prescriptions in Costa Rica raises issues related to the exposure of patients’ private information. Carrillo states that the system allows diagnoses to be accessed by Ministry of Health officials, RACSA (Radiográfica Costarricense S.A.), contracted companies, and pharmacies without clear security guarantees or access protocols. Additionally, he mentions that this measure could increase medication costs by necessitating medical consultations for prescriptions. The College of Physicians has taken actions before the Constitutional Chamber for further analysis, as reported by LaEsquina506.
While digitizing health services can streamline processes, reduce errors, and improve treatment traceability, experts warn that the current digital prescription lacks adequate legal backing and may pose legal, ethical, and data protection risks. According to a report from La Delfino, the initiative has been criticized for not ensuring patient diagnosis confidentiality or informed consent, potentially jeopardizing individual rights and doctor-patient relationships. The College of Pharmacists pointed out that requiring patients to pay for consultations to obtain prescriptions will raise medication costs.
La Nación reports that the Attorney General’s Office supported the College of Physicians by indicating that several articles of Executive Decree No. 44714-S might be unconstitutional. It highlighted that requiring centralized recording of diagnoses, culture results, and allergies lacks legal support and poses a risk to patient privacy, reinforcing the judicial action presented before the Constitutional Chamber.
The Ministry of Health in Costa Rica is responsible for overseeing the national health system’s governance. It plans, regulates, and supervises public health actions including sanitary surveillance, health promotion, and regulation of health establishments and products according to its mandate.
