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. 2024 Nov 16;12(6):169. doi: 10.3390/pharmacy12060169

Table 4.

Pharmacists’ perceived disadvantages of telepharmacy.

Theme
(UTAUT Elements Relevant to the Theme)
Sub Theme Typical Comments (Responded Pharmacist)
Drug delivery problems
(performance expectancy)
Delays in patients receiving their medications We will deliver the medication, there is still a fairly long delay, you know. It may take a few days from the time of the counseling for the medicine to be delivered. I think that is the biggest drawback (PH)
Damage to the medicine while the shipping No matter how well it is packed, there is always a possibility that it could be damaged while shipping. (PB)
Concerns about accurate delivery Since I don’t hand it to the patients directly, I’m always a little anxious about whether or not they’ll actually get it. (PB)
Communication failures
(performance expectancy)
Communication failures Even though our connection is fairly stable, many of our patients are contacting us from their home using cell phones, not PCs. And if their cell phone signal is bad, they may cut in and out, or their picture might freeze. (PJ)
The session could be interrupted if a device runs out of battery There were people whose phones ran out of charge in the middle of medication instruction. (PI)
Ease of use for patients
(effort expectancy, experience)
Difficult for the elderly Since there are many elderly people, I feel that it is difficult to bring them to use the equipment until they are able to use it. (PI)
Difficulty in using a smartphone Many of the patients are elderly, so it is not only a question of whether or not they have a smartphone, but also how they actually operate it. I think that is the difficult part. (PJ)
Difficulty in using the app Many first-timers seem to get confused about how to make reservations, so I still call them individually and explain that I will send them a message that they can then use to make a reservation (PG)
Difficulty in video calling with people who are not so familiar with online communication, it is often difficult to understand what they are saying because their voice is very broken even though they are trying their best to speak. (PG)
Difficulty for patients with disabilities We also need to consider the case of people who have difficulty expressing themselves or moving their hands well because of their disease. (PE)
Emotional reactions
(behavioral intention, voluntariness of use)
Concerns about registering a credit card I think that the biggest bottleneck is the credit card registration. (PC)
Unwillingness to try new things The average age of people who receive medicine is also high, and I think that only a certain percentage of people are willing to try new things because they have been doing it a certain way until now. (PK)
Resistance to show their house room I think some patients concern or feel shame about showing their house room via screen. I mean, I would probably feel that way. (PA)
Pharmacy system
(facilitating conditions, social Influence)
Difficulty coordinating telepharmacy with regular work There have been two or three times when I was too busy with my pharmacy work, even though it was time for an online counseling session. Those times, I apologized to the patient.(PF)
Staffing shortage Staffing shortage… that may be part of the problem. (PH)
Communication issues
(performance expectancy)
Difficulty understanding patients’ facial expressions I think the small screen makes it difficult to see patients’ facial expressions. It is also difficult to hear them. (PK)
Nervousness I have a strong feeling that elderly people may be a bit nervous and tense when talking online, so they may not be able to relax. (PK)
Difficulty using the device to explaining medications I think it is difficult for patients to get an idea of how to use devices, such as inhalers, because they cannot see the actual product. (PD)
Difficulty to get a feel for patients’ moods The sense and the vibe that you can only get in a face-to-face setting is also different from what you can get online, so the whole experience is just a little different. (PJ)
Healthcare system issues
(facilitating conditions)
Expectations for electronic prescriptions I think it will become very popular, given that electronic prescriptions are now starting to be used, and as they become more widespread, prescriptions can be given directly to pharmacies from hospitals, so pharmacies can prepare and deliver medications to patients based on those prescriptions, and patients will no longer have to come in to pharmacies in person (PF)
Health insurance points Think about the economics, I think that if insurance points aren’t awarded, we will be restricted timewise by the need to meet the patients’ schedules, so if absolutely no insurance points are awarded, and everything is up to the patients, it will be pretty tough. Practically speaking. (PK)
App system issues
(facilitating conditions, performance expectancy)
Difficulty of asking prescription inquiries One issue is that patients make appointments to fit their own schedules. There have been times when the hospital isn’t open then, or I couldn’t reach the doctor, and I couldn’t give the patients their medicine. If the patient is a normal outpatient, and lives nearby, then maybe there would be something I could do, but… This has caused me the biggest headaches. (PH)
Difficulty of obtaining information about concomitant medications Telepharmacy requires patients to input concomitant medications into the app themselves, or to tell the pharmacist that medications they are taking themselves. I think there are probably many patients who do not input concomitant medications into the app. (PG)
Cost
(facilitating conditions)
Shipping cost When we talk about shipping medication, most patient say like ‘No, no, I will come to pharmacy and pick the med up. It will be waste for paying shipping bill’. (PE)
Equipment fee We have to invest in equipment. (PH)