What is FEST?
Published:
Changes
FEST is an information service that provides healthcare professionals with updated information on all prescription drugs in Norway. It enriches electronic prescription systems and forms the basis for patient-oriented pharmaceutical data.
Part of the Electronic Prescription System
FEST supplies all parts of the electronic prescription chain with quality-assured and updated pharmaceutical information. The data structure enables rich functionality in the various user systems.
At the doctor's office
FEST provides a unique opportunity to offer tailored pharmaceutical information when doctors write prescriptions. The information is downloaded into the doctor's electronic patient record, providing updated details such as price, reimbursement via the national health insurance scheme, or whether the doctor needs to apply specifically to prescribe this medication.
The service also allows doctors to be alerted about new side effects and supply difficulties at pharmacies. FEST makes it easier for doctors to prescribe the correct medication.
In hospitals
Currently, hospitals use resources for their own pharmaceutical registries. Meanwhile, new medications continuously enter the market, and the rules for reimbursement and usage change. It's resource-intensive and challenging for hospitals to keep their systems updated. FEST offers updated pharmaceutical information to all hospitals and works to meet various needs in specialized healthcare.
At pharmacies and medical supply stores
The pharmacy system, FarmaPro and EIK, receives information about medications and other pharmacy products from a product register prepared by Farmalogg. Farmalogg and FEST synchronize this information so that details about the same medications exist in both systems.
Medical supply stores sell items used for incontinence, stoma care, diabetes, as well as breast prostheses, catheters, and clinical nutrition products. From FEST, medical supply stores receive information about the products that have reimbursement. This product and price list is prepared quarterly by the Norwegian Directorate of Health.
What products are available in FEST?
FEST includes items that can be prescribed in Norway:
- Medications with marketing authorization in Norway
- Medications produced in hospital pharmacies
- NAF medications
- Unregistered medications
- Dietary supplements sold at pharmacies
- Trade goods with reimbursement (medical consumables, nutritional products, breast prostheses)
Collects data from multiple sources
The Norwegian Medical Products Agency does not have the entire database and therefore collaborates with other suppliers to obtain as comprehensive a database as possible. We collaborate with, among others, the Norwegian Directorate of Health, the Norwegian Health Economics Administration (HELFO), and Farmalogg for information exchange.
Who uses FEST today?
FEST is used by general practitioner systems in Norway, systems within municipal care, and systems in hospitals. Veterinary systems also utilize FEST.
Interested in using FEST?
If you wish to develop software/applications with FEST: see documentation and feel free to contact us.