The Community Pharmacy Practice Centre, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Khon Kaen University, has launched “Telehealth Thailand,” a remote health consultation platform. This innovative service enables public members, particularly vulnerable groups, to access pharmacists, doctors, and nurses anytime and anywhere, free of charge, complete with home delivery of medication. This launch represents a significant stride in utilizing digital innovation to enhance public access to healthcare services.
Associate Professor Sunee Lertsinudom, Ph.D., an academic member in the Division of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Khon Kaen University, and Secretary-General of the Pharmacy Council, explained that the concept and research for this platform originated during the COVID-19 pandemic. At that time, many patients could not travel to collect their medications as scheduled, leading to exacerbation of symptoms due to prolonged lack of treatment.
“We encountered patients with epilepsy, asthma, diabetes, and hypertension who could not come to the hospitals for essential medication. Some patients, despite having little income, had to spend hundreds or even thousands of baht on travel for follow-up appointments,” stated Professor Sunee. “If we had a robust system allowing medical professionals to provide genuine remote care, it would significantly reduce the burden on patients and improve their quality of life.”
Responding to this challenge, the research team at the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences initially developed a Telehealth prototype within Health Region 7. This prototype was subsequently expanded through collaboration with the Health Systems Research Institute (HSRI) and the Thailand Center of Excellence for Life Sciences (TCELS). This joint effort resulted in “Telehealth Thailand,” a central national platform overseen by the Pharmacy Council, boasting over 3,000 registered pharmacists and more than 6,000 healthcare personnel in its system. All personnel must undergo professional verification in compliance with professional standards and Personal Data Protection laws.
“The system received cloud infrastructure support from Krungthai Bank, which recognised the project’s dedication to public service. This ensures the platform has comprehensive, standardized data protection architecture. This factor distinguishes Telehealth Thailand from other health applications, as we prioritise the safety and security of patient data above all else. Currently, the platform has more than 10,000 users,” Professor Sunee added.
Telehealth Thailand also integrates with existing health insurance systems, such as the Golden Card (Universal Coverage) benefit for smoking cessation, allowing patients to receive advice free of charge for six months. Furthermore, the platform supports Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) devices, such as blood pressure monitors, glucose meters, or spirometers, which are configured to send readings to the system via Bluetooth. This provides doctors and pharmacists with more precise patient monitoring capabilities.
In the future, the platform plans to incorporate Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology to automatically record data from conversations between healthcare personnel and patients. This will streamline data collection regarding symptoms, reduce the administrative workload, and free up practitioners’ time to focus directly on patient care.
The home delivery service for medication is another key feature designed to ease the burden on patients, particularly the elderly, the disabled, those residing far from hospitals, and Khon Kaen University students living in dormitories, who will soon be able to consult pharmacists and receive medication delivered directly to their residences.
Professor Sunee concluded, “Telehealth Thailand was initiated because we saw the severe challenges faced by the public. Our aim is to ensure technology and research reach the patients directly, helping them save on travel costs and access healthcare personnel more conveniently. This represents a new hope for the Thai healthcare system.”
Interested members of the public can download the “Telehealth Thailand” application via Google Play or the App Store. Users must register using their Citizen ID card or the ‘Pao Tang’ application before accessing the video consultation system for medicine and health advice, including arranging to receive medication at a pharmacy or having it delivered home.
Currently, the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences Pharmacy at Khon Kaen University serves as a “Pharmacy System Prototype” pilot programme within Health Region 7. This system successfully connects primary services, ranging from Sub-district Health Promoting Hospitals (HPH) to Community Hospitals, Provincial Hospitals, and even the university’s own Srinagarind Hospital. For further information, please visit the Facebook page “ร้านยาคณะเภสัชศาสตร์ มหาวิทยาลัยขอนแก่น” or add the KKU Pharmacy LINE account for details.
In addition to expanding access to healthcare services, this new platform reflects Khon Kaen University’s role as a driving force behind “Digital Public Health Innovation” that directly addresses inequality and ensures sustainable health outcomes for the public in the modern era, fulfilling its commitment as the “University of Dedication for Society.”
