Australian first: GPs available via pharmacies in rural areas

Twenty-three pharmacies across Australia have agreed to participate in the country’s first Telehealth service, ‘InClinic’ system.

Sigma Healthcare and Doctors on Demand have partnered to provide patients with access to a professional online consultation and advice inside a pharmacy. 

“We know that patients are demanding more convenient access to healthcare in their chosen care setting,” CEO of Doctors on Demand, Kirsty Garrett said. 

“At the same time, access to GPs remains a challenge for patients in rural and regional Australia and it is in more remote areas where there has been significant interest from pharmacies to adopt the InClinic service.”

A range of pharmacies will now be able to offer secure and private links to Doctors On Demand’s online platform in a professional consulting suite. An Australian registered doctor will be able to provide advice with an option of sending a necessary script immediately to the pharmacy. 

“From Claremont and Kingaroy in Queensland to Shepparton and Maryborough in Victoria, pharmacists are now able to provide access to quality GP services from their own consultation rooms, saving the patient from having to drive to another town to see a GP or present at the local hospital emergency room,” Ms Garrett said. 

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