Telepharmacy Implementation to Support Pharmaceutical Care Services during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Background: Telepharmacy was effectively applied for remote pharmaceutical care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Objectives: To determine the implementation of telepharmacy services to support pharmacists in providing pharmaceutical care during the pandemic. Data Sources: Seven electronic databases were searched from inception to June 2021: PubMed, Ovid MEDLINE, Excerpta Medica database (Embase), Web of Science, Proquest, Scopus, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Study Selection and Data Extraction: The review followed PRISMA guidelines and was registered with the PROSPERO registry of systematic reviews. Reports of original research investigating the implementation of telepharmacy during the COVID-19 pandemic were retrieved. Researchers screened the title and abstract of each article, and then evaluated the full text of eligible articles to identify studies that met the inclusion criteria. Pharmacists’ responsibilities and actions were classified in relation to the International Pharmaceutical Federation guideline for managing the COVID-19 pandemic. Extracted data included study characteristics, pharmacists’ interventions delivered through a telepharmacy system, and the benefits of telepharmacy implementation. Data Synthesis: The database search yielded 1400 articles. After removal of duplicates and articles not meeting the specific inclusion criteria (n = 1381), a total of 19 relevant original research articles were reviewed. According to these studies, telepharmacy was used to perform remote medication review and optimization, assess medication adherence, dispense and deliver medications, educate and counsel patients, promote disease prevention, collaborate with health care providers, and monitor treatment outcomes. Conclusions: This study highlighted the use of telepharmacy services to support pharmacists’ activities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Randomized clinical trials are needed to investigate the long-term efficacy and cost-effectiveness of telepharmacy services.