The Ministry of Health has requested urgent clarification from the Costa Rican College of Physicians following a directive that instructs medical professionals to use generic and imprecise diagnoses in the country’s digital prescription system.
According to the Ministry, this guidance “is serious, risky and completely unacceptable. It goes against good medical practices, compromises clinical accuracy and threatens the continuity of treatments received by thousands of people every day.” The Ministry further stated, “Costa Rica cannot allow an administrative decision to endanger patient safety or set back decades of health quality standards.”
The Ministry has formally asked the College’s Board of Governors for three specific clarifications: the official minutes and agreements where this instruction was approved; any technical and scientific justification supporting the use of imprecise diagnoses; and the legal and health basis on which the College intends to contradict an existing decree.
These requests aim to determine whether the College’s directive could negatively impact patient safety or constitute a breach of Costa Rica’s health regulations. Additionally, concerns were raised about the promotion of “DoctorsBee,” a platform that reportedly lacks registration, clear standards, data security guarantees, traceability, or confirmation of its listing with PROHAB.
The Ministry emphasized that “it is not acceptable to promote an uncontrolled tool while deliberately weakening the country’s official digital platform.” The Ministry highlighted that its own Digital Prescription system meets international standards such as HL7 FHIR, is properly registered and audited, and ensures personal data protection in accordance with national legislation.
“In public health, digital security is not a favor and diagnostic precision is non-negotiable. The Ministry of Health will act firmly to protect the population and ensure that no external decision undermines people’s safety or rights,” stated officials. The Ministry is awaiting information from the College and indicated it will take all necessary actions in defense of public interest.
