Services where pharmacists can speak with patients online and provide them with instructions on how to take their prescriptions have been gaining attention as patients can now receive their medications through the mail. Such virtual services are popular among those who want to avoid going outside as a result of the pandemic or who do not have time to go to the pharmacy.
A 58-year-old Saitama woman who suffers from rheumatism has been using the service since the spring. She visits a hospital two hours away and used to pick up her prescription at a pharmacy near there. The medicine must be refrigerated, and the ice packs are heavy. She also wanted to avoid being outside for long periods due to her compromised immune system.
