Every so often, patients with chronic diseases must go to their family doctor to renew their medication, a usual procedure that involves travel and increases pressure on the healthcare system. In Andalusia, however, innovation has been embraced to implement a system that connects doctors and pharmacists and allows these patients to renew their treatments directly from the pharmacy, without the need for a prior appointment or visits to the health center.
This tool is part of the technological modernization process promoted by the Junta de Andalucía. What began as a pilot project at the end of 2025 has already extended to the entire community, so that community pharmacies have direct communication with public system doctors through electronic prescriptions.
In practice, this means that pharmacists can manage, always with the patient's consent, the renewal of long-term treatments. Thus, when the medication is about to run out, the professional informs the patient of this possibility and, if the patient authorizes it, initiates the process from the electronic prescription itself. Subsequently, the Primary Care physician reviews and validates the treatment within a maximum period of ten days. This system facilitates more convenient and planned care, although if the physician detects the need for tests or adjustments, they will contact the patient.
The measure has been widely welcomed among professionals and users. Since February, the system has allowed 18,593 communications between pharmacists and prescribers, improving coordination and care quality.
In this context, the role of the pharmacist as a health agent gains greater relevance. It has also been key in the implementation of the Virtual Health Card, available since the end of March and already used by more than 102,000 Andalusians, of whom nearly 50,000 have used it in pharmacies to obtain their medications.
This card, which coexists with the physical format, allows citizens to identify themselves in healthcare centers through a high-security dynamic QR code, and even manage from the mobile the cards of minors under their care.
Andalusia thus advances in the digitalization of its healthcare system with initiatives promoted by the Andalusian Health Service (SAS) and the Digital Agency of Andalusia (ADA), aimed at reducing the bureaucratic burden on professionals and improving patient care. Among them are new communication channels with citizens through WhatsApp, the future Virtual Waiting Room to prevent crashes during times of high demand, or the Virtual Health District, which will offer appointment alternatives in other centers when there is no availability in the usual one.
All these measures are integrated into the Digital Health Strategy 2030 (ESDA), recently approved and endowed with an initial investment of more than 316 million euros, with the aim of advancing towards a more digital, connected, and population-needs-centered healthcare system.
