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Need a Prescription Online? Here’s How Telemedicine Makes It Easy

Date: 21 Oct 2024

Technology has made it possible to visit a doctor online and get prescription. Through telemedicine technology, you can find a doctor; schedule an appointment right from the comfort of your home. The healthcare provider will assess your health condition using video conferencing tools at the comfort of your home and provide an online prescription(e-prescription) without you having to visit the hospital. Prescription medication online is possible for many conditions such as mental health issues, birth control or online prescription refill for a chronic condition such as diabetes.

With many online prescription services, knowing your options and how telemedicine can help with your health is important. This article will explain how online prescription works and review healthcare providers that offer cheap online prescription refills in Kenya.

How to order prescription medication online

Virtual doctor visits or online prescriptions work through the use of telehealth platforms. They allow you to consult with healthcare providers remotely using digital devices such as smartphones, tablets, and computers.

Step 1: a patient registers in a telehealth platform that provides virtual consultation with doctors.

Step 2: Schedule or initiate a consultation

Once registered, you can schedule a virtual visit in advance or request immediate consultation with available doctors.

Step 3: Provide pre-visit information

You will be required to provide your medical history, list your symptoms, concerns, or reason for the visit, and upload any relevant documents or pictures of previous prescriptions, test results, or photos of rashes e.t.c

Step 4: Virtual consultation

The doctor will make a video call, phone call, or chat to make a consultation. During the session, the doctor will ask questions about symptoms, medical history, and other relevant details. The doctor may conduct a visual assessment or guide you in self-examining.

Step 5: Diagnosis and Treatment Plan

After reviewing the information you provided during the consultation, the doctor will provide a diagnosis or recommendations. If the condition requires medication, the doctor will provide an online prescription and send the medication directly to your home, office or any other convenient place.

Step 6 Follow-up: the telehealth service will offer follow-up appointments to check on progress. Many telehealth services allow you to message or call the doctor if you have further questions after the visit. Many services also offer the cheapest online prescription refill through their online pharmacy/online chemist.

Why you should consider prescription medication online

  1. Convenience: With telehealth, you can get medical prescriptions in the comfort of your home. If you are having a cold and don’t want to leave your house, a video call will do.
  2. Lower cost and Insurance coverage: seeing a doctor in a hospital for general consultation costs Ksh 1500 but online consultation costs only 500. Most telehealth providers also accept the use of insurance to get their services.
  3. Access to a wide range of healthcare providers and services: many organizations providing cheap online prescription refills have partnered with other organizations such as local labs to offer convenient and affordable tests and screening. Telemedicine services will match you with a board-certified provider thus sparing you the hassle of looking for one who accept new clients and is close to you. Therefore, you can get any type of medical attention you need by just tapping on your smartphone.  

Common Conditions Treated Through Virtual Visits

Telehealth is suitable for non-emergency, routine conditions such as:

  • Colds, flu, or allergies
  • Minor skin infections or rashes
  • Mental health consultations (e.g., anxiety, depression)
  • Prescription refills for chronic conditions (e.g., high blood pressure, diabetes)
  • Sleep disorders
  • Digestive issues (e.g., indigestion, diarrhea)
  • Sexual health concerns (e.g., UTIs, STDs)

What online prescription refills and telemedicine options are there?

There are many telemedicine companies available in Kenya. Below is a list of popular online pharmacies in Nairobi Kenya that also offer telemedicine services.

Pharmily Care

Pharmily is an online pharmacy that enables clients to access medical products at the comfort of their homes. It was stated in 2018 after the covid 19 pandemic. Pharmily allows you to access several healthcare providers such as general physicians, obstetrics, dermatology, and more. The company has also partnered with pharmacies and chemists across Kenya to allow you to get medicine and online prescription refills.

Daktari Smart

Gertrude’s Children’s Hospital partnered with the M-pesa Foundation to form Daktari Smart, a telemedicine program that targets children. The initiative was launched in 2024 and has so far been implemented in 5 counties in Kenya. Unlike another conventional telehealth facility, Daktari Smart partners with Gertrude’s Hildren’s Hospital to provide diagnosis at their premises.

BonCareLife

Boncare provides access to board-certified healthcare providers using their secure messaging service and telehealth software. Boncare promises that no appointment is needed and thus you can get on demand service whenever you need healthcare help. However, you have to pay 15,000 every month for a complete membership.

Afya Bora

The company allows you to consult a doctor online using a digital device such as smartphone. The company allows you to access a number of healthcare providers such as general physicians, obstetrics, dermatology, and more.

The bottom line
One way to easily obtain healthcare is through telemedicine. It enables you to obtain prescription refills for chronic ailments or prescriptions for minor illnesses online. Numerous telehealth businesses are available for selection. To determine which one is best for you, look at their prices, the counties they serve, and the services they provide.