The Ministry of Health in a Thursday directive told health facilities – public and private – that they have three months to implement a computer system for issuing prescriptions and electronic patient medical records or risk facing administrative penalties, or even being shut down.

The new requirement is to ensure that prescriptions and patients’ diagnoses are clearly readable in order to reduce the risk of patients getting the wrong medication, according to the directive.

Sok Srun, director of the department of hospital services at the Ministry of Health, couldn’t be reached for comment yesterday.

“All prescriptions and [patients’] results are not allowed to be written in short-form,” the directive reads.

The name of the medicine has to be properly spelled out, the quantity and the consumption information should be clearly stated as well, the directive says. The expiration date should also be on the medicine’s label.

Kem Leng, general manager of Vattanak Clinic in Phnom Penh, welcomed the directive. He said his clinic already made the transition to electronic medical records.

“All the hospitals should use the computer system since it’s easy to manage,” he said.

Meanwhile, Phnom Penh’s health department reminded private ambulance drivers not to pick up accident victims on the road because it’s illegal, according to its Facebook page.