This article explains how to create, sign, and print or email a prescription in Animana, so that you comply with the applicable regulations.

Before you start

Step-by-step instructions

1. Open the patient file.
2. Click the “More actions” drop-down menu at the top left of the file.
3. Select Prescription.
4. Check or complete the following details:
   • “Date”: the current date is entered by default.
   • “Valid until”: enter the validity period of this prescription. By default, this is set to 6 months after the date in the first field. You can also leave the field empty if necessary.
   • “Veterinarian”: select the prescribing veterinarian. The veterinarian’s registration number is filled in automatically.
   • “Repeat prescription (times)”: enter how many times the prescription may be repeated. The default is “0”.
   • “Supplier”: if applicable, select the pharmacy or supplier.
5. Under “Products”, click Add product from database or Add product manually and enter the product details:
   • “Product”, “Quantity”, “Unit”, and “Dosage” are mandatory.
   • “Pharmaceutical form” and “Strength and active substances” are strongly recommended.
   • Optionally, enter “Label text”, “Product registration number”, and “EAN code”.
   • If applicable, select Cascade, Prophylaxis, or Metaphylaxis. The corresponding text is then printed on the prescription.
   • For a herd file, the “Withdrawal time” is also mandatory.
6. Click Save product.
7. Repeat steps 5 and 6 for each additional product.
8. Sign the prescription in the “Signature” field. Click Clear signature to start again.
   
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   Please note: a saved prescription cannot be edited. Check the prescription carefully before you continue.
9. Click Save or Save and print.
   If you save the prescription without a signature, Animana asks whether you are sure you do not want to sign it digitally.

In the patient file, you now see the prescription listed with a sequence number (“number”), a validity date (“valid until”), and the product. Click one of the icons on the right to email, view, or print the prescription.

More about this

Why do I have to sign every prescription? Can’t I just save my signature?

A prescription is a legal document, and your signature confirms that you have personally reviewed and approved it. We ask for a signature each time so that every prescription carries a deliberate, individual sign-off.

We don’t store signatures against users in Animana. A signature is sensitive personal data, and saving it as a standard part of a user profile would make it available to be reused for purposes it was never meant for, such as being applied to a document you haven’t reviewed. By not storing your signature, we keep it out of reach of anyone who might misuse it, so it can never end up on a document you didn’t sign yourself. This protects you, your clinic and your clients.

What does this mean in practice?

• You sign each prescription digitally when you create it, so a signature is captured for that prescription only.
• If you try to save a prescription without signing, Animana shows a warning and asks whether you are sure you don’t want to sign digitally.
• You can always sign an already saved prescription by hand, for example after printing it.
• Once a prescription is created, it can’t be edited. If something needs to change, deactivate it and create a new one, which gets its own signature.

How do I invalidate a prescription?

You may make a mistake in a prescription, or something may need to change. A saved prescription cannot be edited, only invalidated. To do this, click the prescription and then click the Invalidate button. Enter the reason for invalidating the prescription and click Invalidate. You return to the prescription, where the top shows who deactivated it and why. Click Close to return to the patient file. There, the prescription now also shows that it has been invalidated.

How do I see whether a prescription has expired?

If the validity date of a prescription has passed, the “prescription” line in the patient file shows the message “Expired on [Date]” in red below the prescription number.

Can I also show the prescription at the top of the patient file?

Especially for prescriptions that may be repeated several times, it is useful to select the “Show on top of the patient file” option when creating the prescription. This makes the prescription visible at the top of the patient file, below any sticky protocols. You can unstick a pinned prescription by clicking the red pin.

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