The “eRecept” system worth more than CZK 300 million used rarely
PRESS RELEASE on Audit No. 16/18 – May 2, 2017
The Supreme Audit Office (SAO) performed an audit of the State Institute for Drug Control and its management within the years 2013–2015. Auditors aimed at funds used for the operation of the Institute and for the development of its information systems. In total, auditors scrutinized funds in the amount of CZK 450 million and assets worth CZK 160 million. Auditors concluded that the Central Repository of Electronic Prescriptions (also called “eRecept”), which had cost about CZK 318 million, was used only little.
From 2007 to 2016, the State Institute for Drug Control spent almost CZK 318 million on the development of the Central Repository of Electronic Prescriptions. In the following four years, additional operating costs will amount to CZK 4.5 million a year. However, the system is rarely used: Only some 5 million of electronic prescriptions were issued from August 2011 to October 2016, which represent 1.5 % of all prescriptions issued in the Czech Republic.
When developing the “eRecept” system, the State Institute for Drug Control failed to contractually reserve the provision of later adjustments to the system made either by own forces or by a third party, and failed to clarify the general copyrights pertaining to the system’s further utilisation. The resulting disputes with the supplier had to be solved at a court and consequently, the system’s operation was suspended from December 2015 to March 2016.
As for the ICT, auditors did not only reveal errors in the Central Repository of Electronic Prescriptions. From 2005 to 2009, the State Institute for Drug Control was changing over to a new IT architecture and created a data store without having acquired licences to the software applications, which violated the licence rights. As a result, the Institute had to pay CZK 120 million under the settlement agreement with the original supplier.
Auditors also scrutinized the accounting of the State Institute for Drug Control within the audited period. According to the law, the Institute collects payments for specific operations from pharmaceutic companies that are considered as off-budget resources. The Institute should use these funds to finance its activities. From 2013 to 2015, the Institute collected more than CZK 1,500 million from the payments, but in contradiction to the legislation, the Institute transferred them into the reserve fund while showing lower amounts of commitments in their accounts. Such manners influence the state of the final accounts and have a significant impact on the view of the economic situation of the Institute.
Communication Department
Supreme Audit Office