As healthcare has evolved, so have the roles and responsibilities of pharmacists. They are no longer there to dispense medications alone. Today pharmacists work as an extended team of doctors. They talk with patients, explain medications, confirm dosage, and much more. Sometimes, patients also ask pharmacists for doctor references, feedback, and reviews. That’s where telepharmacy comes in!

It makes the job of pharmacists much more easier and streamlined.  Let’s break down what telepharmacy is and how it benefits everyone involved!

Table of Contents

• What is Telepharmacy?
• Benefits of Telepharmacy for Patients
  • 1. Accessibility: 
  • 2. Convenience: 
  • 3. Improved medication adherence: 
  • 4. Cost-effectiveness: 
  • 5. Enhanced patient safety: 
  • 6. 24/7 access to pharmacy services: 
  • 7. Support for chronic patients: 
  • 8. Privacy and confidentiality: 
  • 9. Specialized expertise access: 
  • 10. Reduced wait times: 
• Benefits of Telepharmacy for Providers
• How To Set Up Telepharmacy?
• VCDoctor Telepharmacy Solutions!
• Wrapping Up!
• VCDoctor Telepharmacy Solutions FAQs

What is Telepharmacy?

Telepharamcy connects patients with pharmacists remotely. Most telepharmacy solutions are web-based. They run seamlessly on all devices. VCDoctor telepharmacy solutions work on phones, desktops, and other systems. 

Using telepharmacy, patients portal can see chemists in real-time. They can make video calls or use text chat. They can discuss prescriptions, and even get them delivered to their location. Here’s how telepharmacy works: 

1. You get a prescription from your doctor.
2. You send it to your chemist using the platform
3. The chemist may use photos or video chat to double-check everything.
4. Once okayed, you can pick up your meds or get them delivered.

While this is just a simple workflow, the technology behind telepharmacy is not so simple. 

Benefits of Telepharmacy for Patients

Telepharmacy offers several benefits, especially in terms of accessibility, convenience, and efficiency:

1. Accessibility:

Pharmacy services are limited in remote areas. The pharmacy-to-patient ratio gets even worse in underserved or economically poor regions. Telepharamacy brings care to these areas. Patients with limited mobility or poor transportation options benefit the most from telepharmacy. 

2. Convenience:

Sometimes patients just need a consultation with pharmacists. They have questions about their medications or refills. Waiting in long lines or scheduling appointments is not always possible for these patients. With telepharmacy, they can connect with an expert conveniently while saving important time. 

3. Improved medication adherence:

One of the undeniable benefits of telepharmacy is timely reminders and patient counseling. This helps patients better understand their treatment plans and improves adherence. In the long run, this improves health outcomes, as well as minimizes risks and hospitalization rates. 

4. Cost-effectiveness:

Telepharamcy is equally effective in lowering healthcare costs. This applies to both patients and providers. While patients cave on costs like travel expenses, fuel, and more; providers save on overhead costs associated with traditional brick-and-mortar pharmacies.

5. Enhanced patient safety:

Telepharmacy systems include tools like medication checks and alerts for possible drug issues. This boosts safety by lowering the chance of mistakes or harmful interactions.

6. 24/7 access to pharmacy services:

Most brick-and-mortar pharmacies have fixed business hours. But this is not the case with telepharmacy. Patients can request a meeting, request refills, and even discuss care management 24*7. 

7. Support for chronic patients:

Telepharmacy can play a crucial role in reducing the global chronic disease burden. Especially patients in remote areas can access specialist pharmacists and medication management services. Plus, some telepharmacy platforms also remote patient monitoring services. This helps reduce hospital readmissions for chronic disease complications.

8. Privacy and confidentiality:

The top telemedicine platforms are HIPAA compliant. Some patients may not feel comfortable discussing their health concerns in person. With telepharmacy, they can rest assured that their data is private and secure. They can comfortably discuss their health concerns in an environment that is private and confidential. 

9. Specialized expertise access:

Telepharmacy links patients to specialized pharmacists. For instance, elderly or mental health patients can use telepharmacy to get personalized advice from experts on their health concerns.

10. Reduced wait times:

Last but not least, Telepharmacy cuts waiting times for refills and consultations. Patients connect with pharmacists online, skipping lines and appointments. It’s great during busy times, making things faster and easier for patients.

Benefits of Telepharmacy for Providers

Almost every pharmacist has to face staffing challenges. On top of this, every patient expects to be served promptly. However, overflowing prescriptions may not always allow you to focus on every patient. Telepharamcy could be a great tool to have! 

• Optimize Staffing: Use telepharmacists during busy times or when your team is short-staffed. This helps you manage your staff better and might cut down on overall costs.
• Reduce Overtime: Telepharmacists can handle busy periods without needing overtime pay. This saves money and prevents burnout in your regular team.

• Expand Your Reach: Reach more patients by offering telepharmacy services online. Some people can’t visit in person, so going online helps you connect with them. With a web platform, you can provide remote consultations and medication management.
• Streamline Workflows: Telepharmacy simplifies your work. It has tools to handle billing, minimize errors, and more. This frees up your team to concentrate on essential duties.

How To Set Up Telepharmacy?

Starting a telepharmacy involves 5 steps:

1. Check the Rules: Every state has different telepharmacy laws. Research them carefully.
2. Know Your Services: Understand what services your state allows telepharmacists to offer (e.g. medication verification).
3. Take Stock: Figure out what resources you already have (staff, licenses, technology) to support telepharmacy.
4. Check IT Needs: Do you have the IT infrastructure to handle telepharmacy needs? Evaluate it yourself or consult an expert. 
5. Build or Buy: You can either build telepharmacy software in-house or outsource it to a vendor. Most providers choose to outsource to save time and money. 
6. Choose Wisely: If outsourcing, pick a vendor with qualified pharmacists, good software, and strong security practices

VCDoctor Telepharmacy Solutions!

Need a telepharmacy solution that is easy to set up and ready to use?

VCDoctor combines telemedicine app and telepharmacy features to help hospitals and local pharmacies.  VCDoctor is also fully white label telemedicine. You can start telepharmacy services with your brand and logo. Plus, you can add custom features too.

So whether your patients need fast billing or your staff needs a medicine stock tracker, VCDoctor has you covered. Here are the key VCDoctor features: 

Telepharmacy Features:

• Secure video chat
• Secure Messaging
• E-prescribing
• Medication reconciliation
• Refill requests
• Medication tracking (inventory for pharmacies)
• Custom features (tailored to your needs)
• And lots more.

Wrapping Up!

Telepharmacy is awesome for local pharmacies, clinics, and hospitals. It makes work easier, helps people get care, and makes outcomes better. VCDoctor is a top telepharmacy provider. Our solutions are private, secure, and easy to use.

And, guess what?

You can get a VCDoctor demo for free!

Simply fill out our contact form and our expert will get back to you. 

VCDoctor Telepharmacy Solutions FAQs

1.  Is VCDoctor White Label?

Yes, VCDoctor is 100% white-label. You can start your telepharmacy services with your name and logo.

2. I have pharmacies in multiple locations. Can I manage them all using VCDoctor?

Yes, you can add and manage multiple pharmacies using VCdoctor. Each pharmacy location will have a unique dashboard to manage patients, prescriptions, stocks, and more. 

3.  Is VCDoctor HIPAA complaint?

Our platform is fully HIPAA compliant. Moreover, if you have pharmacies in Europe, UAE, India, etc., we can ensure compliance in those regions. 

4. Can I sell VCDoctor to other pharmacies? 

We have a different partner program for that. Get in touch with our team for further details. 

5. How can I book a VCDoctor Demo?

You can book a demo easily. Simply visit our Contact Us page. Next, Fill out the form on the page and send it to us.