Telepharmacy during COVID-19: A Scoping Review

Pharmacy

Isaac Rex Beazer¹  Kanchita Patel²  Man Hung³  Elizabeth J. Unni⁴ 

[1] Class of 2022, College of Pharmacy, Roseman University of Health Sciences, South Jordan, UT 84095, USA;Class of 2024, Touro College of Pharmacy, New York, NY 10027, USA;College of Dental Medicine, Roseman University of Health Sciences, South Jordan, UT 84095, USA;Department of Social, Behavioral, and Administrative Sciences, Touro College of Pharmacy, New York, NY 10027, USA;

关键词: telepharmacy;    scoping review;    COVID-19;    implementation;    challenges;    strategies;   

DOI  :  10.3390/pharmacy9040183

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

The objective of this scoping review is to summarize the implementation of telepharmacy during the surge of COVID-19. This review will focus on answering four questions: During the COVID-19 pandemic, (1) what were the various telepharmacy initiatives implemented? (2) what were the challenges faced when implementing telehealth initiatives? (3) what were the strategies used by pharmacies to overcome the challenges, and (4) what were some of the innovative methods used by pharmacies to implement telepharmacy? A literature search was conducted to include publications post-March 2020 about telepharmacy implementation via PubMed Central database and Google searches. All articles were examined for inclusion or exclusion based on pre-determined criteria. A total of 33 articles were reviewed. The most commonly observed telepharmacy initiatives were virtual consultations, home delivery of medicines and patient education. Limited access to technology and lack of digital access and literacy were major barriers in the implementation of telepharmacy. New protocols were developed by healthcare systems and regulations were relaxed by countries to accommodate telepharmacy. Pharmacies that successfully implemented telepharmacy overcame these challenges through patient and pharmacist education. The review also revealed the steps that can be taken by pharmacy organizations, payers and entrepreneurs in leveraging the convenience of telepharmacy.

【 授权许可】

Unknown