Bill 646.

Summary.

The bill establishes a system for managing, picking up, and delivering medicines through digital platforms at public hospitals, polyclinics, multicare health centers, health centers of the Ministry of Health (Ministerio de Salud), and facilities of the Social Security Fund (Caja de Seguro Social). Its purpose is to reduce waiting times and queues for insured persons and users of the public health system. The Ministry of Health and the Social Security Fund, each within its own powers, would have to provide a system for viewing approved prescriptions, checking medicine availability, scheduling the date and method of pickup, and authorizing third parties or delivery services. Each institution could operate its own platform or integrate it with existing systems, with access through a website or mobile application.

Use of the digital system would be voluntary. Facilities would retain traditional in-person pickup for people without access to technology. Insured persons or users could choose to pick up medicines themselves at the health facility, have an authorized third party pick them up, or receive them at home through a courier or delivery service of their choice.

For pickup by another person or a delivery service, insured persons could give express authorization through the platform or by means established in the regulations. They could authorize a family member, another third party, or a properly identified delivery service. The authorization would have to include the insured person's details, identification of the authorized person or company, express consent, and the period for which it is valid. The insured person would bear the cost of delivery unless the State establishes a special measure for vulnerable populations.

The system would have to identify the medicine dispensed, record its pickup, enable delivery tracking, and confirm receipt by the user. Where a delivery service is involved, a digital record would be required. The bill limits the responsibility of the Ministry of Health and the Social Security Fund to proper dispensing and handover to the authorized person or chosen service. Transport, custody, and final delivery would be the responsibility of the authorized third party or the company selected by the insured person. Personal and medical data would be processed under applicable data protection law, kept confidential, and used solely for the bill's purposes.

The Ministry of Health and the Social Security Fund would submit an annual report to the National Assembly (Asamblea Nacional) on medicines supplied through the digital system, pickup methods, reductions in waiting times, and incidents, for legislative oversight. The Executive Branch (Órgano Ejecutivo) would regulate the technical, technological, and operational procedures within 120 days. The proposed law would take effect 90 days after its promulgation in the Official Gazette (Gaceta Oficial). Its provisions concern those public institutions, insured persons and users, people authorized to pick up medicines, and courier and delivery services.