Telepharmacy in Mental Health Outpatient Case Management

Objective: To describe the use of videophones to augment community-based case management medical services, particularly for in-home pharmacy consultations. Discussion: Despite recent technologic advances, telepharmacy image applications, in which a patient and a pharmacist can see each other, are rather limited in number and variety. However, videophone technology can fill this role well, given its portability, low cost, reliability, privacy, ease of use, and minimal technologic requirements. Videophone deployment in our psychiatry community case-management program has improved both medical and pharmacist access to a population of seriously mentally ill patients. Specifically, the ability to reach a hospital-based pharmacist through videophone, while making home visits, has allowed clarification of medication preparation and authorization of refills as well as improving treatment adherence. In short, despite minor technical limitations, videophones provide a simple and, in our case, reliable solution for in-home care. To date, both patients and case managers have responded with satisfaction to this treatment adjunct. Conclusions: Despite some limitations, videophone technology can increase patient access to health care, particularly pharmacy consultations. Expanded use of this technology would allow for systematic studies to support or refute the successes documented at our institution.