consenso supports introduction of e-prescriptions at DocMorris

24th February 2025

DocMorris stands for customer-oriented, innovative services and a wide range of products in the area of digital health care. These range from quick appointments for online doctor consultations to pharmaceutical advice and the supply of prescription and non-prescription drugs, as well as health products from Germany's best-known online pharmacy. DocMorris thus provides its customers with easy access to comprehensive health services in one place with just one click. In 2023, the German segment of the Swiss DocMorris AG generated external sales of CHF 976 million with currently 10 million active customers.

E-prescriptions are not as new in Germany as you might think. In principle, pharmacies have been able to fill e-prescriptions and bill health insurance companies accordingly since 1 September 2022. Since 1 January 2024, the use of e-prescriptions has been mandatory for everyone with statutory health insurance. And for online pharmacies like DocMorris, it offers an opportunity, since the majority of the industry's 66.36 billion EUR (2023, Germany) in sales will still be generated offline. Market gains therefore promise significant sales opportunities.

DocMorris offers patients various ways to redeem their e-prescription.

One variant is the analogue method, where the doctor's office hands the patient a printout that is sent to DocMorris by post in a (clear) envelope. In a second variant, the customer uses the DocMorris online shop or app to electronically transmit a photo of the printout or the data from the scanned QR code of the e-prescription.

In the third, fully digitised variant, the e-prescription is redeemed via smartphone, DocMorris app and the electronic health card (eGK) of the health insurance companies with NFC function. NFC stands for ‘Near Field Communication’ and enables the data stored on the e-prescription card to be transferred to the app via NFC-enabled smartphones.

To ensure that this transmission uses fully functional interfaces and security protocols, the DocMorris app required certification from gematik (Gesellschaft für Telematikanwendungen der Gesundheitskarte mbH). With the Federal Ministry of Health representing the German government as its largest shareholder with 51%, gematik developed the e-prescription system and ensures, among other things, that health cards and pharmacy apps work according to defined standards, thus guaranteeing the security of data transmission.

consenso supported DocMorris in the following areas in the context of the conceptual design and technical implementation of the e-prescription processes:

• Design and development of data modelling
  • Adaptation of paper prescription processes to the specifics of e-prescriptions
  • Setting up billing with the clearinghouse for patients with statutory health insurance in SAP
  • Setting up adapted condition determination
  • Transferring data using SAP PI/PO as middleware
• Adaptation of master data, in particular of products, to include additional fields relevant to e-prescriptions
  
  
• Retrieval of e-prescription data from gematik
  • Implementation of the transfer of gematik data via SAP PI/PO to the SAP backend system
  • Creation of customer orders in SAP
  • Implementation of the document flow through to handover to SAP EWM

• Integration of processes and data via SAP PI/PO
  • Implementation of e-prescription customer orders from the inbox
  • Transfer of data to the SAP backend system

• Adjustment of standard processes in SAP ERP
  • Entering customer orders, deliveries and invoices, including data handover to logistics
  • Implementing additional requirements as part of the standard

• Securing the availability of medication
  • Implementation of pharma-specific product availability
  • Distribution of availability data to all registered external systems, such as various web shops or SAP eWM

• Ordering medication from wholesalers and manufacturers
  • Implementation of the MSV3 purchasing interface for e-prescription orders
  • Upgrade MSV3 1.0 to 2.0
  • Securing the interface to reduce maintenance costs and availability risk

• Settlement of (additional) payments
  • Adjustment and implementation of e-prescription-specific billing with the clearinghouse

• Returns process
  • Conceptual design and implementation of the pharmaceutical returns process
  • incl. implementation of the connection to SAP FI and FI/CA module

A definitely exciting project with many challenges – but one that was a success for the customer DocMorris, as they were prepared in good time for the changes resulting from the introduction of e-prescriptions and were thus able to offer the customer a simple and secure solution right from the start.

A big thank you to DocMorris for the cooperative partnership. We look forward to further upcoming tasks!

Photo: DocMorris, Heerlen