Gao Yangyang, Lv You, Wang Shiyan, Guo Mengran, Guo Yi, Zheng Minglin, He Lulu, Wu Fengbo, Fan Ping
Department of Pharmacy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
Information Technology Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
Front Public Health. 2024 Dec 13;12:1448471. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1448471. eCollection 2024.
In recent years, the development of telemedicine and eHealth services has led to the rapid worldwide growth of Internet hospitals, which played a significant role during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. However, little is known about the characteristics and safety of Internet hospital outpatient pharmacy services (IHOPSs), which represent a new model of pharmaceutical services.
This study aimed to reveal the comprehensive characteristics and safety of whole-course-based IHOPSs in a general tertiary hospital in western China.
We established a whole-course-based IHOPS model. A total of 373,936 online prescriptions placed from February 1, 2020 to January 31, 2023 were analyzed. These included information on patients, prescriptions, and deliveries; error rates for prescription reviews and medication dispensations; economic value; and degree of patient satisfaction. Over the course of the study, a total of 373,936 prescriptions representing 351,884 patients and 945,172 medications were delivered to 22 provinces, 5 autonomous regions, and 4 municipalities in China.
IHOPSs saved patients more than 320,376 days (7,689,036 h) and RMB (Renminbi) ¥94.05 million in costs. The error rates of prescription review and dispensing were 0.0011% and 0.0008%, respectively. The infectious disease department ( = 63,903; 17.09%) ranked first in the number of prescriptions written for all three consecutive years. Of the 373,936 delivered prescriptions, 90.15% (337,104/373,936) were sent to Sichuan.
The IHOPS was found to be efficient, convenient, and safe because it handled the challenge of precisely and safely delivering medications to patients on time during and to the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. It provided patients with safe and convenient pharmaceutical services unlimited by geography or time zones. Widespread use of this service could help alleviate pressure on offline pharmacists, giving them the time and resources to provide other professional services. Our model can therefore serve as a useful reference for policymakers to support the development of Internet pharmaceutical services. Further efforts are needed to regulate and standardize the management of this novel service.
近年来，远程医疗和电子健康服务的发展促使互联网医院在全球范围内迅速增长，在2019冠状病毒病（COVID-19）大流行期间发挥了重要作用。然而，对于作为一种新型药学服务模式的互联网医院门诊药房服务（IHOPS）的特点和安全性，人们了解甚少。
本研究旨在揭示中国西部一家大型三级医院基于全流程的IHOPS的综合特征和安全性。
我们建立了基于全流程的IHOPS模式。对2020年2月1日至2023年1月31日期间开出的373936张在线处方进行了分析。这些处方包括患者、处方和配送信息；处方审核和配药的错误率；经济价值；以及患者满意度。在研究过程中，共有代表351884名患者和945172剂药物的373936张处方被配送至中国的22个省、5个自治区和4个直辖市。
IHOPS为患者节省了超过320376天（7689036小时）的时间，并节省了9405万元人民币的成本。处方审核和配药的错误率分别为0.0011%和0.0008%。传染病科连续三年开出的处方数量均排名第一（63903张；17.09%）。在373936张已配送的处方中，90.15%（337104/373936）被送往四川。
研究发现，IHOPS高效、便捷且安全，因为它在COVID-19大流行期间及结束后，成功应对了按时、准确且安全地为患者配送药物的挑战。它为患者提供了不受地理或时区限制的安全便捷药学服务。广泛使用这项服务有助于减轻线下药剂师的压力，使他们有时间和资源提供其他专业服务。因此，我们的模式可为政策制定者支持互联网药学服务的发展提供有益参考。需要进一步努力规范和标准化这项新型服务的管理。
