Medisign Ensures Timely Replacement of Health Cards

Medisign has pledged to complete the replacement of health cards by the end of the year, following recent concerns about the timely transition to new security protocols within the Telematics Infrastructure (TI). The older RSA 2048 encryption method is being phased out in favor of the newer ECC 256 standard, which is essential for pharmacies to continue processing electronic prescriptions (E-prescriptions).

As part of this transition, pharmacies require new healthcare professional cards (HBA) and secure medical cards (SMC-B) to maintain their operational capabilities. It is critical for pharmacies to receive these cards by December 1st, as activation of the new cards will be necessary for continued compliance.

Medisign faced delays in upgrading its production line and encountered challenges during the data migration to the new system, which temporarily halted card production and made the application portal inaccessible. This situation prompted a warning from Gematik, the organization responsible for overseeing the security and functionality of the TI. Gematik expressed skepticism regarding Medisign's ability to fulfill the complete card replacement by the year's end.

In response to these concerns, Medisign has strongly contested Gematik's assessment. The company highlighted the capabilities of its new production line, which is expected to produce up to 15,600 cards weekly. While Gematik based its estimates on a five-day work week, Medisign is planning for a six-day production schedule. A representative from Medisign stated that, based on this capacity, the company is confident it can complete the necessary card replacements on schedule.

According to Medisign, the new production line commenced operations on September 27, and the ramp-up of card manufacturing has already begun. Within the first three days of the week, the company reported the production of 2,511 SMC-B and eHBA cards. By the end of the week, Medisign anticipates that it will have caught up with any production backlog for both card types.

This card replacement is crucial for the continued integration of pharmacies into the country's evolving digital health framework, and stakeholders are closely monitoring the situation to ensure a smooth transition.