What is the Pharmaceutical Record [Dossier Pharmaceutique]?

The Pharmaceutical Record (DP) lists all the medicinal products provided to each patient over the last four months (21 years for vaccines, 3 years for biological drugs). This includes both medicinal products prescribed by a doctor and those advised by a pharmacist. The DP was created by the law of 30 January 2007 and its implementation has been entrusted to the National Chamber of Pharmacists.  

> What is the purpose of the DP?   
> Services offered by the DP  

What is the purpose of the DP?

Originally, this patient record (DP-Patient) was aimed at allowing pharmacists to improve the safety of dispensing medicinal products by limiting the risks of drug interactions and redundant treatments. It is now accessible to pharmacists and doctors practicing in health facilities (hospitals). It improves coordination between health professionals, fosters a connection between the city and the hospital, and promotes better vaccination coverage.

But today it is much more than that. In addition to improving patient safety, it also improves the pharmaceutical supply chain through the following services: DP-Shortages, DP-Alerts, DP-Recalls, DP-Health Monitoring.

Services offered by the DP 

“DP-Patient”, for improving the safety of dispensing medicinal products and assisting with vaccination monitoring

As the cornerstone of the Pharmaceutical Record, the DP-Patient allows the pharmacist to limit the risks of drug interactions and redundant treatments. It helps pharmacists prevent iatrogenesis diseases. Since its launch, the DP has allowed pharmacists to review a patient’s medication history for the prior 4 months.

Since the issuance of Decree No. 2015-208 of 24 February 2015, the retention and access period for DP data regarding vaccine dispensation has increased to 21 years. This extension of access time allows for increased monitoring of vaccination coverage. This adaptation has been used since September 2016.

The same decree extends the retention and access period of PD data for biological medicines. Access to data on biological medicines for a period of three years is important because over half of new medicinal products authorised in Europe are now biological medicines. However, these drugs, which are produced or derived from a cell or living organism, require special monitoring. This access has not yet been extended.

The DP-Patient, initially developed in community pharmacies, has gradually spread to healthcare facilities, therefore allowing better coordination of care between the city and the hospital. Since October 2012, hospital pharmacists (PUI) can access the DP under the same conditions as other pharmacists. From early 2013 to December 2015, certain hospital doctors (anaesthesiologists, A&E doctors, and geriatric doctors) were also granted access to the DP as an experiment.  With the publication of Article 97 of Law no. 2016-41 of 26 January 2016 regarding the modernisation of our health system and its implementing decree, the use of the DP in hospitals is generalised with access given to all hospital doctors. 

Services to secure the pharmaceutical chain

• “DP-Shortages”, for managing information on supply shortages 

Some pharmacists and laboratories report supply shortages to their managing pharmacist, the National Agency for the National Agency for Medicines and Health Products Safety [Agence nationale de sécurité du médicament et des produits de santé] (ANSM) or its regional health agency [agence régionale de santé] (ARS). This system, which is currently being generalised, allows information to be shared between actors to facilitate finding solutions to treat patients.

Certain pharmacists can automatically report medicinal product shortages directly from their business software instead of doing so manually.

• "DP-Alerts", for health alerts 

Since July 2010, the Chamber of Pharmacists has been able to broadcast a health alert within minutes to all pharmacies connected to the Pharmaceutical Record, whether in mainland France or overseas French departments. The system operates 24/7. For example, the Chamber may relay certain urgent health alerts issued by the French Health Directorate [Direction générale de la santé] (DGS). Pharmacies can also be targeted by geographical area if necessary.

The alert message is displayed on all computers in all pharmacies, both in cities and hospitals. Pharmacists must validate the message on each computer to continue activity. An acknowledgment of receipt is then sent to the DP portal server to monitor and measure the reception of the health alert.

• "DP-recalls ", for medicinal products batch recalls and withdrawals

Since November 2011, recalls and withdrawals of batches of medicinal products have been sent to pharmacies via the DP portal the same way as for health alerts. Pharmacists are informed immediately and can remove those products from the shelves. This system operates 24/7 and is carried out through the ANSM and operators.

• "DP-health monitoring”

Law No. 2011-2012 of 29 December 2011  allows the Ministry of Health, ANSM and the National Institute for Public Health Surveillance [Institut de veille sanitaire] (INVS) to access anonymous data relating to medicinal products that are being maintained in the Pharmaceutical Record.  This data is used as a decision-making tool, as they provide information on France’s healthcare situation. The process is secure: data is used anonymously. It should be noted that the National Chamber of Pharmacists received financial support from the French medicines agency for this system.

The National Council of the Chamber of Pharmacists [Ordre national des pharmaciens] (CNOP) has implemented the DP with the assistance of the Docapost BPO company, who was approved on 2 March 2013 to host personal health data on the DP.