INTRODUCTION

Introduced in 2002, Telepharmacy services involve the provision of retail pharmacy services by a qualified pharmacist at a Health Sciences Authority (HSA)-licensed pharmacy, to a patient remotely through digital technologies. Telepharmacy started with the supply of Pharmacy-Only (P) medications and was expanded in 2009 to include the supply of Prescription-Only medications (POM), enhancing patients’ access to medications and quality pharmaceutical care, in a safe, reliable, and convenient manner.

Tele-pharmaceutical care services, which involve the provision of pharmaceutical care services like minor ailment management and chronic disease management remotely by a Qualified Pharmacist, was added to the guideline in 2018. For more information on pharmaceutical care services (PCS), please refer to Ministry of Health (MOH) PCS guidelines 2019.

Singapore faces the challenge of a rapidly aging population, where one in four citizens will be over 65 years old by 2030. Furthermore, the prevalence of chronic metabolic diseases like hypertension and hyperlipidaemia has risen to 32% & 37% of our population respectively, presenting significant burdens on patients, their families, and the healthcare system.

The increased disease burden and healthcare demands necessitates greater access and provision of pharmaceutical services that are safe, affordable, and catered to the evolving healthcare needs in Singapore. The advent of a digitally ready pharmacy enables offerings such as remote medication review, patient counselling and education, pharmacist consults, and medication adherence monitoring, made convenient through Telepharmacy and Tele-pharmaceutical care services. These efforts also complement initiatives such as HealthierSG and the proactive work towards preventive healthcare in Singapore.