Assisted telemedicine in pharmacies is an innovative, forward-looking healthcare service with a range of benefits. It can ease pressure on hospital emergency departments, reduce healthcare costs, and make a significant contribution to patient care, the Austrian Chamber of Pharmacists says.
Video consultations with doctors in pharmacies can help close gaps in medical care during off-peak hours, when outpatient medical services are often limited or unavailable. This is the conclusion of the pilot project “Assisted Telemedicine in Pharmacies,” conducted by the Austrian Chamber of Pharmacists in cooperation with UNIQA Health Services, Mavie Next, and Paracelsus Medical University (PMU).
Study results are convincing
The study found that 96 percent of patients were satisfied with their telemedicine consultation at the pharmacy. The service reached people across all age groups.
The most common reasons for consultation included acute respiratory infections, conjunctivitis, migraines, skin rashes, pain, colds, gastrointestinal disorders, repeat prescriptions, and follow-up care after hospitalization.
In 94 percent of cases, medication was prescribed or adjusted electronically, while 89 percent of cases were successfully resolved through the telemedicine consultation at the pharmacy.
Hospital outpatient departments also benefit from telemedicine services in pharmacies. Without access to telemedicine in pharmacies, almost one in four patients (24 percent) said they would have sought treatment at a hospital outpatient department for their health concerns. With the telemedicine service available, this figure fell to less than one percent — a reduction of approximately 97 percent.
According to the study, telemedicine consultations in pharmacies cost between €20 and €70 less per consultation than other points of care, depending on how the service is implemented and used.
Mursch-Edlmayr: Pharmacists combine cost efficiency with quality of care
For Ulrike Mursch-Edlmayr, President of the Austrian Chamber of Pharmacists, telemedicine services in pharmacies help close a growing gap in healthcare provision during off-peak hours: “No one should leave the pharmacy without receiving care. This pilot project demonstrates that telemedicine in pharmacies can definitively resolve nine out of ten health problems requiring medical attention, with the highest level of patient satisfaction. “The project clearly demonstrates how cost efficiency and quality of care can be combined within the healthcare system by involving pharmacists. What has long been standard practice in other countries is now producing measurable results here as well: low-threshold medical care works when it is genuinely accessible to people.
“Now it is up to policymakers and social security institutions to take responsibility. This type of care should be available to everyone in Austria, particularly during off-peak hours when conventional healthcare services reach their limits.
“Anyone who continues to hesitate is accepting that, in the absence of alternatives, patients will continue to seek care in the most expensive setting in our healthcare system — hospital emergency departments. Given the current financial pressures on the healthcare system, this is unacceptable. We have demonstrated what is possible; now those responsible simply need the courage to pursue new approaches.”
Haberlander welcomes telemedicine services in pharmacies
As the pilot regions, Vienna and Upper Austria were the first to implement telemedicine services in pharmacies, with positive results from both a healthcare and political perspective.
For many people, pharmacies are a familiar and important first point of contact when it comes to their health. They are close to the people, provide expert advice, and often support patients over many years. When we combine this strength with the possibilities offered by telemedicine, new opportunities emerge for modern, locally accessible healthcare. The pilot project demonstrates that digitalization can be particularly effective when it brings people closer to the right care — simply, conveniently, and where they live.
Christine Haberlander, Upper Austria’s Health Minister and Deputy Governor
Pharmacies offering telemedicine services outside urban centers can particularly benefit from the model, according to Teresa Kriechbaumer, a pharmacist in Bad Zell, Upper Austria. “Especially for us as a pharmacy in a rural area, it has become clear how valuable it is to be able to offer telemedicine care directly in the pharmacy. We have seen a significant improvement for people who come to the pharmacy with acute health concerns during off-peak hours. “Most recently, an elderly gentleman was diagnosed with acute respiratory inflammation during a telemedicine consultation.”
In Vienna, pharmacist Caroline Frauendorfer sees the greatest added value of telemedicine in pharmacies in the area of acute urban care: “If an acute skin rash develops on a Friday afternoon, this can often mean waiting for hours in an overcrowded hospital emergency department in a large city. With telemedicine, we can address the issue directly in the pharmacy. The key advantage for patients is the collaboration between the doctor and pharmacist in one location. When medical questions are clarified immediately, together, and in a familiar environment, it creates a high level of trust. This can improve treatment adherence and outcomes while simultaneously reducing pressure on emergency departments.”
Source
Austrian Chamber of Pharmacists
