Healthcare has very high overhead costs due to a number of variables.
In many countries, it's one of the most regulated business sectors, handling regulated substances and the whole prescription billing process are massive bureaucratic tasks which usually need to be coordinated between several different parties like manufacturing companies, authorities, patients, health care provider, physician, pharmacy and/or nursing services.
Along with that come special demands for data protection and handling for all the involved companies, due to the sensitive data stored about patients. Creating weird legal circumstances where sending a fax is the preferred option over sending an email, as most doctor's offices would be hopelessly overwhelmed with using email encryption like PGP.
Prescriptions also need to be in a physical paper form, adding additional (mailing) logistics to the whole processes. It's a lot of needless paper which could be removed for cost savings and making the overall processes more streamlined and digital, but it will be a long time until we arrive at a point where digital prescriptions become an actual thing (at least in Germany) and an even longer time before they become the norm.
In many countries, it's one of the most regulated business sectors, handling regulated substances and the whole prescription billing process are massive bureaucratic tasks which usually need to be coordinated between several different parties like manufacturing companies, authorities, patients, health care provider, physician, pharmacy and/or nursing services.
Along with that come special demands for data protection and handling for all the involved companies, due to the sensitive data stored about patients. Creating weird legal circumstances where sending a fax is the preferred option over sending an email, as most doctor's offices would be hopelessly overwhelmed with using email encryption like PGP.
Prescriptions also need to be in a physical paper form, adding additional (mailing) logistics to the whole processes. It's a lot of needless paper which could be removed for cost savings and making the overall processes more streamlined and digital, but it will be a long time until we arrive at a point where digital prescriptions become an actual thing (at least in Germany) and an even longer time before they become the norm.