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TELEPHARMACY
The National Association of the
Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) defines telepharmacy as the "provision of
pharmaceutical care through the use of telecommunications and information
technologies to patient at a distance."1
Still a relatively new discipline, telepharmacy is being
explored in areas of pharmaceutical practice such as increasing formulary
compliance, simplifying pharmacy administration and reducing dispensing or
other errors related to illegible handwritten prescriptions.2
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The Veteran Health Association (VA) and rural hospitals like
Allen Memorial in Moab are just some of the healthcare organisations that have
begun to adopt telepharmacy as a means of reducing cost and linking centrally
located pharmacists to remote patients.3
4
Telepharmacy has also been used to provide nighttime pharmaceutical services at
a community hospital.5
Another area in which telepharmacy is being applied, is in the
development of Internet pharmacies, which sell and deliver prescription
medication as well as provide pharmaceutical care to patients. Medications
ordered through these pharmacies are delivered through various mail delivery
services.6
Licensure and legality issues have prompted the NABP to
provide a verification system for Internet pharmacies on its website. The
system is known as the Verified
Internet Pharmacy System (VIPPS). Sites with the VIPPS seal have agreed
to comply with US state and federal laws and regulations governing pharmacy
practice. These sites must also agree to preserve patient’s confidentiality,
provide authenticity and security of the prescription drug order, adhere to
recognised quality assurance policies and provide for consultations with
pharmacists.
References
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National Association Boards of Pharmacy. 24TH March
2003. [WWW] VIPPS Definitions.
http://www.nabp.net/vipps/consumer/definitions.asp (25TH September
2003).
-
Monane, M. et al. Improving prescribing patterns for the
elderly through an online drug utilization review intervention: a system
linking the physician, pharmacist, and computer. JAMA. 1999 Apr
7;281(13):1168-9.
-
Carevic, Kristie L.; [WWW] Telepharmacy: A new
application for telemedicine.
http://www.amia.org/pubs/symposia/D004775.PDF (25TH September
2003).
-
HIMSS 25TH November 2002. [WWW] HIMSS
Advocacy Dispatch.
http://www.himss.org/content/files/AdvocacyDispatch/2002/20021125.pdf (24TH
September 2003).
-
Keeys, C. A.; et al. Providing nighttime pharmaceutical
services through telepharmacy. Am J Health Syst Pharm. 2002 Apr
15;59(8):716-21.
-
Angaran, D. M. Telemedicine and telepharmacy: current status
and future implications. Am J Health Syst Pharm. 1999 Jul
15;56(14):1405-26.
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VIPPS
Information and verification site for online pharmacies by the National
Association of Boards of Pharmacy.
http://www.nabp.net/vipps/intro.asp
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