DOD in the market for a telepharmacy system

The Defense Department is conducting research on commercially available technology products for a telepharmacy application for its Military Health System.

Telepharmacy integrates videoconferencing technology with pharmacy operations management software located at a central pharmacy site and a remote telepharmacy. It permits a pharmacist at a central pharmacy to access a patient medication profile and perform a prospective drug utilization review by computer on each prescription before it is dispensed to the patient at a remote site.

TRICARE, DOD's health plan, seeks conceptual technical architectures for implementing the telepharmacy, including technical feasibility, alternatives assessments and suggestions for approaches to implementing, operating and managing the telepharmacy. This research also will further develop and refine the requirements for the telepharmacy application, DOD said in its request for information.

The telepharmacy application should include capabilities to fill, check and dispense prescriptions at a remote site, with access to all pertinent patient information at a central pharmacy and a remote site; full documentation and auditing capabilities of the prescription fill process; and ability to print patient-specific labels.

The system would provide commercial-grade video teleconferencing communications within the network among specified users using the data network components and protocols. The telepharmacy would have to interface with commercial pharmacy management systems.

Responses are due Dec. 6.

Mary Mosquera is a staff writer for Washington Technology's sister publication, Government Computer News.