Spanish Society of Hospital Pharmacy Position Statement on Telepharmacy: Recommendations for its implementation and development

Abstract

The use of information and communication technologies have nowadays become part and parcel of hospital pharmacy practice. Against this background, it is hardly surprising that Telepharmacy has sparked the interest of a large number of stakeholders. In this respect, the Spanish Society of Hospital Pharmacy has developed a definition of the concept and outlined the conditions under which Telepharmacy should operate. It has also shared its institutional stance on the subject through a position statement that states that Telepharmacy is the provision of pharmaceutical care at a distance through information and communication technologies. Telepharmacy practice includes activities such as therapeutic validation, drafting of clinical documents, provision of pharmaceutical care, therapeutic follow-up, adherence monitoring, drug education and information, coordination between healthcare providers and evaluation of health outcomes. The clinical tasks performed as part of Telepharmacy practice must adhere to a standardized procedure and revolve around the patient's clinical record. Access to Telepharmacy must be provided without discrimination. The service comprises four main activities: pharmacotherapeutic follow-up; patient and caregiver-directed education and information-dissemination; coordination with healthcare providers from the same or different hospitals; and remote informed home drug delivery. Implementation of Telepharmacy requires an adjustment of human (training and capacity-building) and technological resources (validation, interoperability, confidentiality). It must also comply with the laws and regulations in force both at a regional and a national level. Telepharmacy procedures must also be adapted to the relevant ethical standards and codes of good practice. Appropriate indicators must be used to evaluate the performance of Telepharmacy and its impact on health outcomes. According to Spanish Society of Hospital Pharmacy Telepharmacy is a necessary complementary tool to provide specialized pharmaceutical care and thereby improve health outcomes and maximize patient safety and satisfaction.