The next new normal for pharmaceutical supply chains in Thailand

Telehealth, which comprises telemedicine and telepharmacy by using online or technology apps to provide health service delivery to patients, is part of the healthcare policy announced by the Ministry of Public Health for Thailand from 2020 to 2022.

Telemedicine encompasses a patient setting an appointment for a physician’s diagnosis, treatment and consultation management. Meanwhile, telepharmacy is a pharmacist practice offered to patients ranging from counseling, dispensing and monitoring of a patient’s drug usage.

The Pharmacy Council of Thailand has been developing the necessary standards for telepharmacy by working together with pharmacy associations and other related parties involved in the health sector. These methods of standard practice, guidelines and regulations on how to manage and apply for pharmacy community or drug stores will be crucial. The new service delivery to patients must maintain the quality of the product, patient safety and sustainability of health standards for all patients. 

Doctors and patients who have previously considered using telehealth only in limited circumstances such as an illness while traveling or a routine post-operation chat, are now seeing a wider range of services that can be provided virtually. Along with cutting out hassles like parking and waiting-room time, “video visits” can make it easier for family members to observe and participate, which offers a huge advantage for caregivers.

In Thailand, healthcare professionals continue to discuss the possibility of providing services via telepharmacy and delivering medicine directly to a patient’s home or for hospitals to send the medicine to a pharmacy located nearest to the patient’s home. Pharmacies can also use telepharmacy to prescribe and deliver drugs to patients, who are increasingly asking for drugs to be delivered to them directly. 

Many types of temperature-sensitive pharmaceuticals and vaccines are fragile and at risk of damage if mishandled. They require special storage, transport and handling at the correct temperature from the time they are manufactured until they are consumed.

Transporting these medical products from the factory to medical facilities and finally to the patient requires professional cold chain services to ensure that they are delivered with speed, care and reliability. To handle pharmaceutical products properly, we must have innovative solutions for safe storage and transportation.

At DKSH, our Total Quality Management for Cold Chain solutions are ideal for the safe storage and transportation of medical supplies and ensuring product quality is maintained throughout the supply chain. With dedicated cold room facilities across three distribution centers in Thailand, temperature-sensitive medicines and vaccines are stored and transported safely and efficiently.

During a health crisis or an outbreak, preventive measures are crucial. The pharmaceutical supply chain must be uninterrupted, and this includes keeping consumers safe and free from infection.

While most companies, offices and buildings are forced to shut down during a pandemic, a hospital will implement quarantine facilities and protocols to remain operational and safe for patients and staff. DKSH’s Total Quarantine Solution does exactly that by having distribution centers that mirror the health and hygiene quarantine procedures of a hospital during a pandemic.

This procedure is to ensure that infected individuals cannot enter the facilities, the staff stays safe, products do not get contaminated and the facilities remain operational. Read more about DKSH’s Total Quarantine Solution at Keeping your supply chain workforce safe during COVID-19