Telepharmacy: A New Digital Trend in the Pharmaceutical Industry

Telepharmacy is the delivery of pharmaceutical care through the use of telecommunications and information technologies to patients at a distance. It is a type of telemedicine that is implemented in the field of pharmacy. Remote dispensing of medications by automated packaging and labeling systems can also be thought of as an instance of telepharmacy. Telepharmacy services can be delivered at retail pharmacy sites or through hospitals, nursing homes, or other medical care facilities. The term can also refer to the use of videoconferencing in pharmacy for other purposes, such as providing education, training, and management services to pharmacists and pharmacy staff remotely. There are four different types of telepharmacy, including inpatient, outpatient, community, and specialty telepharmacy. Inpatient telepharmacy refers to a pharmacist at a remote location performing remote order-entry services for an inpatient pharmacy at a hospital. The remote pharmacist reviews medication orders before the hospital staff administers the drugs to the patient. Outpatient telepharmacy refers to a pharmacist at a remote location providing medication therapy management services to patients in an outpatient setting. Community telepharmacy refers to a pharmacist at a remote location providing medication dispensing services to patients in a retail pharmacy setting. Specialty telepharmacy refers to a pharmacist at a remote location providing medication therapy management services to patients with complex medical conditions.[1]

Telepharmacy services can be delivered at retail pharmacy sites or through hospitals, nursing homes, or other medical care facilities. Here are some examples of telepharmacy services offered by healthcare facilities based on the search results:

Ø  Drug therapy monitoring

Ø  Patient counseling

Ø  Prior authorization and refill authorization for prescription drugs

Ø  Monitoring of formulary compliance

Ø  Remote dispensing of medications by automated packaging and labeling systems

Ø  Medication selection

Ø  Order review and dispensing

Ø  Provision of clinical service

Ø  Education, training, and management services to pharmacists and pharmacy staff remotely

Ø  Remote order-entry services for an inpatient pharmacy at a hospital

Ø  Medication therapy management services to patients in an outpatient setting

Ø  Medication dispensing services to patients in a retail pharmacy setting

Ø  Medication therapy management services to patients with complex medical conditions[2]

Telepharmacy has many benefits for both patients and healthcare facilities, that are-

Ø  Increased access to healthcare services in remote and rural locations

Ø  Improved medication access and information in rural areas

Ø  Effective patient counseling

Ø  Minimal scarcity of local pharmacist and pharmacy services

Ø  Reduced risk of exposure to infectious diseases

Ø  Better health outcomes

Ø  Lower readmissions

Ø  Lower cost of care

Ø  Benefits for Healthcare Facilities:

Ø  Cost-effective way to enhance communication across the patient care team

Ø  Improved medication adherence

Ø  Improved patient satisfaction

Ø  Increased access to care

Ø  Better collaboration between doctors and pharmacists

Ø  Reduced workload for on-site pharmacists

Overall, telepharmacy has the potential to improve access to care, increase medication adherence, and reduce healthcare costs. It can also help healthcare facilities provide better care to their patients and reduce the workload for on-site pharmacists. However, there are also some challenges to implementing telepharmacy, such as concerns about patient privacy and the need for reliable technology and internet connectivity. Despite these challenges, telepharmacy has become increasingly important during the COVID-19 pandemic as a way to provide safe and effective pharmaceutical care to patients while minimizing the risk of exposure to the virus.[3]

References

1. Baldoni Simone, Amenta Francesco, Ricci Giovanna. “Telepharmacy Services: Present Status and Future Perspectives: A Review”, Medicina, 55, 327, 2019, 1-12, oi:10.3390/medicina55070327.

2.  Belokar Vaishnavi R., Sahejwani Hitesh R., Dighade Sachin J., Patil Priyadarshini G., “Telepharmacy: Way To Digital Pharmacy.” World Journal of Pharmaceutical and Life Science. 2022, Vol. 8, Issue 3, 227 – 233.

3. Karnvar Arpana S., Kashikar V. S., Dhole S. N. “A Review on Telepharmacy services”. International Journal of Pharmaceutical Research and Applications. 2020 Volume 5, Issue 2, pp: 619-623.

By

Sudeep Kumar Mandal

Assistant Professor

Faculty of Pharmacy, Kalinga University

Raipur