Montana Hospital Extends Pharmacy Service to Neighboring Town

Bozeman Deaconess's hospital in Bozeman, Montana has announced they are providing pharmacy services remotely to Bozeman Deaconess Hospital in Big Sky, Montana, about 50 miles away:

A licensed pharmacist at the central Bozeman Deaconess Pharmacy site in Bozeman supervises a registered pharmacy technician at the remote Big Sky telepharmacy site through video conferencing technology. The pharmacist communicates face-to-face in real time with both the technician and the patient through real-time audio, video, and desktop computer links.

"Telepharmacies are good medicine for small towns"

Jo Dee Black writes about a local telepharmacy operation in Great Falls/Three Forks, Montana:

The VanCampens purchased Liberty Drug. Justin is a pharmacist.

They also own Railway Drug in Three Forks, which is operated as a telepharmacy, a relatively new program in Montana that allows a pharmacist to oversee a registered pharmacy technician at another site using real time video and audio technology.

"Justin steps in front of a monitor and talks to our technician in Three Forks all day long," said Keri VanCampen.

Montana's telepharmacy program was authorized by the 2005 Legislature and modeled after the one established in North Dakota in 2002. It's a tool to preserve pharmacy services in small towns, said Ann Rathke of North Dakota State University College of Pharmacy.

Fred of CPhTLink.com also shares his commentary on the story.