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description Monograph

The Benefits and Challenges of Telepharmacy

Target Audience: Pharmacy Tech

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schedule 2.00 Contact Hours (0.20 CEUs)
category Law
local_activity Knowledge

Course Overview

Telepharmacy, or the delivery of pharmacy care to patients via telecommunications, has been practiced in the United States for almost a century. Its use has expanded to serve remote, rural communities and other underserved patient groups in recent decades. More recently, telepharmacy was spurred by the social and public health concerns created by the COVID-19 pandemic when face-to-face contact was discouraged. Telepharmacy can improve patient care and outcomes but also comes with challenges. This technology profoundly changes how people communicate and interact, which can lead to outcomes that may not be beneficial. Also, a new question has arisen now that the COVID-19 public health emergency has ended. It asks, “What should telepharmacy look like now that there is no public health emergency?” Pharmacists and pharmacy staff aware of these challenges and issues can mitigate them and help address them through proper education and practice.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this educational activity, participants should be able to:

  • Define telepharmacy and describe its uses in the pharmacy setting
  • Describe the benefits and challenges of telepharmacy
  • Discuss federal regulation of telepharmacy and provide a few examples of how states regulate it
  • Identify ways to overcome the challenges of telepharmacy

Faculty

Authors & Activity Planners
Gerald Gianutsos, Ph.D., J.D.
View Bio +
Gerald Gianutsos, Ph.D., J.D., is an Emeritus Associate Professor of Pharmacology at the University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy. He graduated with a B.S. in Pharmacy and M.S. in Pharmacology from St. John’s University. He received a Ph.D. in Pharmacology from the University of Rhode Island and a J.D. degree from the University of Connecticut School of Law. He completed a post-doctoral research fellowship at the Michigan State University School of Medicine. He was a member of the pharmacy faculty at UCONN for almost 40 years where he taught pharmacology and pharmacy law and authored more than 100 peer-reviewed manuscripts in neuropharmacology with an emphasis on antidepressant and antipsychotic drugs and drug of abuse. He is a three-time recipient of UCONN’s School of pharmacy teacher of the year award and maintains a continuing interest in pharmacy law, especially in areas involving drugs.

I. Introduction

II. The History and Definition of Telemedicine

III. The Definition of Telepharmacy

IV. The Evolution of Telepharmacy

A. Telepharmacy and Access to Pharmacy Service
B. States Embrace and Regulate Telepharmacy
C. Federal Law and Telepharmacy
D. Telepharmacy and COVID-19
E. Telepharmacy Post-COVID-19

V. Technologies Used in Telepharmacy

A. Technologies and Applications
B. Kiosks

VI. Services Provided Through Telepharmacy

VII. Benefits of Telepharmacy

A. Pharmacy Access for Rural and Underserved Communities
B. Telepharmacy Can Reduce Medication Errors
C. Telepharmacy and Patient Outcomes
D. Telepharmacy Can Reduce Healthcare Costs
E. Expanded Role for Pharmacists
F. Expanded Role for Pharmacy Technicians
G. Telepharmacy and Mandatory Social Distancing

VIII. Identifying and Minimizing the Challenges of Telepharmacy

A. Telepharmacy and Digital Empathy
B. Telesecurity and HIPAA Compliance within Telepharmacy
C. Computer or Technological Literacy
D. Monopolization of Telepharmacy by National Pharmacies
E. Telepharmacy Technology and Videoconferencing Fatigue
F. Regulatory Issues Related to Telepharmacy

IX. The Future of Telepharmacy

X. Summary

From May 5, 2024 through May 5, 2027, participants must:

  1. Read the "learning objectives" and "author and planning team disclosures"
  2. Study the section entitled "educational activity"
  3. Complete the Course Test and Evaluation form. The Course Test will be graded automatically. Following successful completion of the Course Test with a score of 70% or higher, a statement of participation will be made available immediately. (No partial credit will be given.)

Credit for this course will be automatically uploaded to CPE Monitor®.

Faculty Planner Disclosure

The following individuals were involved in developing this activity: Gerald Gianutsos, PhD, JD, and Pamela Sardo, PharmD, BS. Pamela Sardo and Gerald Gianutsos have no conflicts of interest or financial relationships regarding the subject matter discussed. There are no financial relationships or commercial or financial support relevant to this activity to report or disclose by RxCe.com or any of the individuals involved in the development of this activity.

Unlabeled Use Disclosure

The information provided in this course is general in nature and it is solely designed to provide participants with continuing education credit(s). This course and materials are not meant to substitute for the independent, professional judgment of any participant regarding that participant’s professional practice, including but not limited to patient assessment, diagnosis, treatment and/or health management. Medical and pharmacy practices, rules, and laws vary from state to state, and this course does not cover the laws of each state; therefore, participants must consult the laws of their state as they relate to their professional practice. Healthcare professionals, including pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, must consult with their employer, healthcare facility, hospital, or other organization, for guidelines, protocols, and procedures they are to follow. The information provided in this course does not replace those guidelines, protocols, and procedures but is for academic purposes only, and this course’s limited purpose is for the completion of continuing education credits. Participants are advised and acknowledge that information related to medications, their administration, dosing, contraindications, adverse reactions, interactions, warnings, precautions, or accepted uses are constantly changing, and any person taking this course understands that such person must make an independent review of medication information prior to any patient assessment, diagnosis, treatment and/or health management. Any discussion of off-label use of any medication, device, or procedure is informational only and such uses are not endorsed hereby. Nothing contained in this course represents the opinions, views, judgments, or conclusions of RxCe.com LLC. RxCe.com LLC is not liable or responsible to any person for any inaccuracy, error, or omission with respect to this course, or course material.

Please ensure the device you plan to use meets these requirements:

  • Operating System: Windows 7, 8, 10, or 11 / Mac OS X 10.9 or later / iOS / Android
  • Supported Browsers: Microsoft Edge, Firefox, Google Chrome, Safari, Opera
  • A connection to the internet

Accreditation

In support of improving patient care, RxCE.com is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

PTCB Recognition

RxCe.com, LLC, offers pharmacy technician continuing education courses for PTCB recertification. Pharmacy technician courses are indicated both in the Target Audience description and the ACPE UAN which will end with a "T".