Publication Date: March 1st, 2009
Publication Type(s): Policy Brief
Topic(s): Health Information Technology, Hospitals and Clinics
Author(s): Casey, M.
The purpose of this project is to describe successful telepharmacy activities being implemented in rural hospitals and to analyze policy issues related to the implementation of telepharmacy projects in rural hospitals, including the potential impact of telepharmacy use on medication safety for rural patients. Many rural hospitals, especially critical access hospitals (CAHs), have limited hours of on-site pharmacist coverage. Several studies have concluded that limited pharmacist hours adversely affect the contributions that pharmacists can make to medication safety in rural hospitals. Telepharmacy arrangements have been proposed as a way for smaller rural hospitals with limited pharmacist coverage to obtain additional pharmacist resources.