The Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC), in partnership with Qatar Post, has started implementing the Medication Refill Home Delivery service for patients through WhatsApp numbers allocated to each health centre. This comes as part of the measures put in place to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19).

In the first phase, the free delivery service is meant for Qataris only and will be rolled out in phases for the rest of the population soon, PHCC said in a statement. The initiative is aimed at ensuring that patients receive their required medication without having to attend the health centres or clinics, especially those suffering from chronic diseases and the elderly, targeted in the first phase of this service, according to PHCC.

Patients can also inquire about their prescriptions through the WhatsApp numbers, from 8am-2pm and from 4pm-10pm, except on Fridays and Saturdays. As for paying the price of the medicines, they are free for Qataris, for the category exempted from payment, and for GCC citizens. As for those not exempted from the payment, the fees are expected to be paid for medicines by using bank cards. Cash will not be accepted, PHHC has explained.

Regarding the implementation mechanism, PHCC said there will be communication between patients and their health centre’s pharmacy through the WhatsApp numbers that have been announced and can be obtained from the corporation’s official social media accounts and website to request for the necessary medication as well as injections (insulin). For any prescription-related inquiries or clarifications, the pharmacist will obtain some information about the patient to dispense the necessary medication and deliver them in collaboration with Qatar Post within two working days of receiving the request.

The service is accessible for all cases and priority is given to patients with chronic diseases, the elderly and those who need to redispense the medication periodically. PHCC has reiterated “its dedication to ensuring the preservation of medicines and medical injections during the delivery process” and these will be in special containers for proper preservation and safe storage. The delivery vehicles will also be equipped with a cooler to ensure safe medicine delivery.

Source : The Gulf Times 

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