ПИЛОТНО ПРОУЧВАНЕ СРЕД ФАРМАЦЕВТИ ЗА ПРИЛАГАНЕ НА ТЕЛЕФАРМАЦИЯ В БЪЛГАРИЯ
PILOT STUDY AMONG PHARMACISTS FOR THE APPLICATION OF TELEPHARMACY IN BULGARIA

Summary/Abstract: The application of information and communication technologies in pharmacy opens new perspectives in the provision of pharmaceutical services and contributes to limiting the problem with reduced availability of pharmacists and pharmacies. The aim of this article is to study the opportunities and attitudes towards offering telepharmaceutical services among pharmacists in Bulgaria. Material and methods. An anonymous and voluntary online survey was conducted in the period December 2019 – February 2020. It involved 101 pharmacists. Statistical data processing was performed using the software product SPSS v.17. The significance level of the null hypothesis was assumed to be p <0.05 with a 95% confidence interval. Results. Over 90% of the respondents use the Internet on a daily basis. For the most part, they state that they are familiar with the contents of the medicinal product leaflets before they are offered for use. They are distrustful of food supplements sold on the Internet (outside online pharmacies and drugstores). Only 46.5% of them would provide pharmaceutical products online. Almost two-thirds claim they would offer ―cosmetics‖ online, followed by ―sanitary and hygienic means‖. At the same time, the supply and sale of ―non-prescription medicinal products‖ would be offered by only 42.8% of the respondents, and of ―prescription medicinal products‖ only 25.7%. More than two-thirds of the respondents state that they would consult a patient for prescribed distance therapy. Many of them believe that the introduction of an electronic prescription would reduce errors in prescribing medicinal products (n=54; 53.5%). Conclusion. The use of telepharmacy in Bulgaria is well received by pharmacists. It is a solution to the problem with the shortage of pharmacists and pharmacies, especially in small and remote settlements. Efforts should be made to develop e-health in Bulgaria, namely the implementation of electronic health information systems in pharmacy and related electronic medical records and electronic prescriptions.

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