Tech's telepharmacy ventures see mixed results

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When the telepharmacy in Earth, Texas, was launched in April of last year, the Center for Telemedicine at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center had hopes of success.

After more than one year in operation, reality has set in.

"Earth is not progressing as we had hoped," said Vicki Cecalupo, director of Internal Medicine at the HSC.

Cecalupo said she believes there could be several reasons for the telepharmacy's performance thus far.

"Earth is just so close to other areas with pharmacies," she said. "I think one of the things we need to look at when we pick a new site is its proximity to other locations with pharmacies."

There are currently two telepharmacies operated by the HSC in Texas. One is located in Turkey, Texas, and the other is in Earth.

According to the center's Web site, telepharmacy is essentially "a system that monitors the dispensing of prescription drugs and provides for related drug-use review and patient counseling services by an electronic method."

Using this technology allows residents in rural areas to obtain prescription drugs more conveniently.

Cecalupo said she believes there are no more than four telepharmacies set up in Texas.

Though things for the telepharmacy in Earth are not going as planned, there are still individuals who are working toward success.

"We haven't given up complete hope yet," Cecalupo said. "In the near future we are going to try and keep it open. We're going to work on educating people that it's there and that it is an option."

However, the other telepharmacy location in Turkey is being viewed by the center as a success.

Diane Kretschmer, pharmacist in charge and operations service chief for the HSC School of Pharmacy, said she believes the telepharmacy in Turkey is being well utilized.

"Even though we don't fill that many prescriptions a month, the people there really need us," she said.

If the telepharmacy in Turkey were not there, the residents of Quitaque, Turkey and surrounding areas would have to travel up to 60 miles to receive medicine.

As previously reported by The Daily Toreador, the HSC and the Merck Foundation fund the project in Earth.

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