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Bui Thi Lan
Independent Researcher
Le Chan, Hai Phong, Vietnam (VN) – 180000
Abstract— Telehealth pharmacy matured rapidly during and after the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE), and the rules that govern it have shifted almost as quickly. This manuscript synthesizes recent regulatory changes (2020–2025) that shape how pharmacists and pharmacist-prescribers deliver care at a distance, with emphasis on prescribing authorities, remote supply/dispensing, cross-border e-prescriptions, privacy/security, and reimbursement. Using a comparative policy analysis of primary sources from national regulators and boards, we map converging trends: (1) a move from broad pandemic flexibilities to targeted, risk-based safeguards (for example, the United Kingdom’s 2025 distance-selling guidance and additional controls for high-risk medicines); (2) incremental normalization of telemedicine prescribing for controlled substances in the United States via extended flexibilities through 2025 and DEA proposals for “special registration”; (3) government-led infrastructures for e-prescriptions and summaries in the European Union; (4) codification of telemedicine rules in India that enable pharmacist-supported teleconsultation ecosystems; and (5) expanded emergency and electronic prescribing frameworks in Australia and the ongoing use of national model standards in Canada.
We translate these shifts into practice implications for community, hospital, and online pharmacy operations—covering clinical governance, documentation, identity and suitability checks, remote supervision, cross-jurisdiction workflows, and payer policy alignment. Finally, we propose a practicable compliance-by-design framework that pharmacies can operationalize now to remain lawful, safe, and equitable as telehealth pharmacy moves from extraordinary to ordinary care.
Keywords
telepharmacy, telehealth prescribing, online pharmacy, controlled substances, e-prescription, regulatory compliance, HIPAA/GDPR, pharmacist prescribers, remote dispensing, health policy
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