Digital Pharmacist project adds pharmacist appointments to healthcare and social welfare services

The Digital Pharmacist project is piloting remote and in-person pharmacist appointments in the wellbeing services counties of Pirkanmaa and South Ostrobothnia. The goal is to strengthen clinical pharmacy competence in healthcare and social welfare services and to create operating models that counties across Finland can use.

The Digital Pharmacist project is funded by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and coordinated by DigiFinland. The project is being implemented in the wellbeing services counties of Pirkanmaa and South Ostrobothnia in cooperation with pharmacy operators.

The project is focusing on patients with multiple illnesses who take multiple medicines and for whom successful pharmacotherapy is a challenge.

At an appointment, the pharmacist reviews whether the patient’s medications are up to date and fit for purpose and whether they may have combined effects. The patient will also be given guidance on taking their medication at the appointment.

The project is also developing a pharmacist consultation chat service. The aim is to support cooperation between healthcare and social welfare services and enable smooth and timely consultations.

According to Aleksi Westerholm, who is a Master of science in Pharmacy and a Specialist at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, clinical pharmacy services could be beneficial to both patients and the service system.

“The wide-spread adoption of these services could reduce the burden and costs arising from problems in pharmacotherapy. There are major challenges in the success of pharmacotherapy regimens for chronically ill patients. Clinical pharmacy services and better multi-professional cooperation could help overcome these challenges,” Westerholm said.