Over 700 drugstores to serve as primary units for Covid patients with mild symptoms
Around 700 drugstores nationwide have joined a National Health Security Office programme to treat asymptomatic and mild Covid-19 patients as outpatients under self-isolation, the NHSO chief said on Thursday.
NHSO secretary-general Jadet Thammathat-Aree said more than 700 drugstores have joined the programme to use the AMED Telehealth app to register and provide services. Some 440 have registered as primary care units for outpatients in the “green” category under the self-isolation programme.
He said public hospitals have been overwhelmed with outpatient cases, so the NHSO has teamed up with the Pharmacy Council to use drugstores as a new channel for taking care of green Covid patients.
Jadet said each drugstore will be given Bt700 per Covid-19 patient and the cost covers:
- Medical advice for patients “to behave” during self-isolation;
- Cost of green chiretta herb capsules and basic drugs for treating symptoms, and other medicines doctors may prescribe, as well as the delivery cost;
- Service fee for providing advice on medicine use and for monitoring the patient’s condition for 48 hours;
- The cost for coordinating patient transfer when their condition deteriorates and they need hospitalisation.
Jadet also said the drugstores would be given Bt150 more if a patient’s condition deteriorates and there’s a need for more advice or more medicine after the 48-hour period.
Preecha said Covid patients who can seek help from registered drugstores must not belong to vulnerable groups, are over 60 years old, have one of eight comorbidities or who are pregnant.
Green Covid-19 patients can check the list of registered drugstores near their homes from the NHSO website and call the store or scan its QR code to use its service.
Registered drugstores will also sport the signs “community pharmacy service” and “network of voluntary pharmacists via telehealth”, Preecha said.
The drugstores can cater only to universal healthcare card holders, government officials and local administration employees, he said.
If the Social Security Office wants to join the programme, it can discuss the issue with the council, he added.
