Abstract
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.
Highlights
A coronavirus identified as SARS-CoV-2, was discovered in December 2019 in Wuhan, China
To date, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), there have been over 203 million confirmed cases of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and over 4 million deaths globally [1]
This article will answer four questions: During the COVID-19 pandemic, (1) what were the various telepharmacy initiatives implemented? (2) what were the challenges faced when implementing telepharmacy 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?
Summary
A coronavirus identified as SARS-CoV-2, was discovered in December 2019 in Wuhan, China. To date, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), there have been over 203 million confirmed cases of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and over 4 million deaths globally [1]. Mitigation strategies such as social distancing and wearing a mask were implemented in efforts to reduce the spread. Research and development began the process to authorize an emergency use of vaccines to help protect against the virus. Those that were infected with COVID-19 most often experienced respiratory symptoms such as a cold, cough, and shortness of breath [2]
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