Integrated Pharmacy Research and Practice

Telepharmacy, an innovative branch of pharmacy that uses technology to provide services remotely, has emerged as a crucial response to changing healthcare needs in the digital age. Its importance lies in its ability to overcome geographic barriers and increase patient access to quality pharmaceutical services. As the world faces challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic, telepharmacy has become a valuable resource for ensuring continuity of care and reducing the risk of exposure to the virus in healthcare settings.

However, despite its growth and acceptance, telepharmacy remains an evolving field that requires continued research. Research is critical to better understand how to maximize its effectiveness, ensure patient safety, and address ethical and legal issues. In the future, potential lines of research could focus on improving communication technologies, integrating effectively with other healthcare professionals, identifying appropriate reimbursement models, and exploring how telepharmacy can be used in primary and specialty care settings.

The new concept and model of pharmaceutical care presents telepharmacy as a great opportunity for permanent and real-time contact with the patient.

Potential subtopics:

• Clinical Effectiveness Evaluation: Investigate the efficacy and safety of telepharmacy services compared to traditional pharmaceutical care in a variety of medical conditions. This could include collecting data on clinical outcomes, compliance rates, and patient satisfaction.
• Technology Integration: Study how the incorporation of emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, can improve pharmaceutical decision making, drug-drug interaction identification, and treatment personalization.
• Data Security and Patient Privacy: Investigate advanced data security methods to protect patient privacy and ensure the integrity of health information transmitted through telepharmacy platforms.
• Reimbursement Models and Economic Sustainability: Explore sustainable reimbursement models for telepharmacy that incentivize the delivery of high-quality services and encourage pharmacist involvement in healthcare.
• Pharmacist Education and Training: Investigate how effective training can be provided to pharmacists to acquire the skills needed in the telepharmacy environment and keep up with technological advances.
• Access and Equity: Examine how telepharmacy can address disparities in access to pharmaceutical care, especially in rural and underserved areas.
• Multidisciplinary Integration: Investigate how more effective collaboration between pharmacists and other healthcare professionals can be achieved through telepharmacy for comprehensive patient care.
• Patient Experience: Study patient satisfaction and preferences in the use of telepharmacy and how to improve the overall patient experience.
• Regulation and Standards: Investigate how regulations and standards are evolving in response to the growth of telepharmacy and how they can be adapted to ensure patient safety and quality of care.
• Cost and Societal Benefit Assessment: Conduct cost-benefit analyses to determine the financial and societal impact of telepharmacy on the healthcare system as a whole.

These areas of research can help strengthen telepharmacy as an essential part of healthcare and ensure that patients receive safe and effective pharmaceutical services regardless of their location.

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Dr. Ramón Alejandro Morillo Verdugo has worked at Hospital Pharmacy Seville since 2006. He has been an Associate Professor at University of Seville since 2011. He is also the Spanish national coordinator of the “MAPEX Project” from SEFH since 2014.

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The deadline for submitting manuscripts is August 31st, 2024.

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