Assessing community pharmacists' thoughts on telepharmacy in Bali province

Abstract

Telepharmacy describes the use of technology in interactions between pharmacists and patients. Given that telepharmacy is the most recent development in the delivery of digital pharmacy services, the question of how prepared pharmacists are to provide high-quality services frequently comes up and receives attention. The purpose of this study was to determine the viewpoints of pharmacists in telepharmacy services. From February to April 2023, a cross-sectional survey was done using a Google form. The study population included 111 pharmacists in charge of network pharmacies in Bali Province. Their thoughts were assessed using a credible and reliable questionnaire created by the researchers. The questions were split into two sections: a professional demographic items, and a section describing the perspectives, benefits, and challenges of telepharmacy. To get a more detailed or comprehensive response, open-ended questions were added. In general, especially during a pandemic, pharmacists were aware of being involved in remote services (non-face-to-face interaction) and telepharmacy services. This study makes clear that pharmacists' involvement is essential for creating a long-distance relationship between them and their patients. Therefore, pharmacists should learn how crucial communication is to increase patient satisfaction.