In a decade, 471.7 million fully digital prescriptions have been issued, as part of “a project that revolutionized the healthcare sector and accelerated digital transformation in Portugal,” according to Portugal’s Health Ministry’s Shared Services (SPMS) in a report released on National Sustainability Day.
The SPMS states that “the Paperless Prescription adds value to the National Health Service and increases benefits for citizens, doctors, pharmacists, and the entire healthcare system,” emphasizing that “the numbers are expressive.”
They highlight that over 2.63 billion medicine packages have been prescribed through this digital model. Of these, 1.74 billion packages have been dispensed in pharmacies over the decade.
As a point of interest, the day with the highest number of electronic prescriptions issued was January 7, 2020, with nearly 243,000, and 2019 was the year with the most issuances, totaling more than 53 million.
However, the recent monthly record was in August 2025, with over 7 million paperless prescriptions recorded.
According to the SPMS, the adoption rate of the Paperless Prescription has evolved consistently and, by 2025, stands at around 96.5%.
“Currently, on average, 244 prescriptions are issued per minute, on working days, between 08:00 and 20:00,” they highlight, considering this model “a successful case of technological innovation, which has significantly reduced paper consumption and allowed for relevant sustainability gains.”
In 2015, the start of the Paperless Prescription was marked by challenges, from the adherence of prescribing doctors and the technological adaptation of clinical systems to the necessary cultural shift to abandon paper.
“Today, the evolution is clear, with the introduction of the digital signature, interoperability with pharmacies, and cross-border integration,” the SPMS notes.
For healthcare professionals, the benefits translate into greater clinical safety, quick access to patient history, error reduction, and simplification of prescription processes.
For pharmacies, it means automatic validation, faster service, elimination of legibility issues, and, more recently, the mandatory electronic invoicing, with added advantages in transparency and administrative efficiency.
Citizens benefit from greater convenience, safety, and, above all, the ability to ensure access to medication anywhere, anytime.
For the SPMS, “the gains are significant, resulting in a considerable reduction in costs, simplification of procedures and, through its anti-fraud mechanisms, detailed monitoring, and rapid detection of irregularities.”
They add that the next step involves the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) tools, already being developed by the SPMS, which should enhance efficiency, safety, and personalization in electronic prescribing.”
