*Step aimed at protecting vulnerable members of society from coronavirus infection
The Pharmacy Department at the Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) has this week expanded its medication home delivery service, which is now available nationwide, to all HMC patients.
This comes in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, HMC has said in a statement on its website.
"As part of our ongoing efforts to ensure that all patients follow social distancing practices, especially those who are at a higher risk of Covid-19 complications, we proudly announce that we have expanded the service to include all HMC patients,” said Dr Moza al-Hail, executive director of HMC’s Pharmacy Department.
The expansion of the service has been made possible as a result of an ongoing partnership between HMC and Qatar Post and includes both new and refill prescriptions. The service is available to all HMC patients with a valid health card.
“To access HMC’s medication home delivery service, patients should call 16000 between 7am and 3pm , open daily from Saturday to Thursday. Qatar Post will deliver their medications on the next business day. All Qatar Post drivers are adhering to the highest standards of hygiene and have been specially trained to handle medications, including those that require refrigeration and special handling,” said Dr al-Hail.
Further, Dr al-Hail says providing this service is part of HMC’s ongoing efforts to stop the spread of Covid-19 and to protect members of the public who are most vulnerable.
“Picking up prescriptions shouldn’t be something patients need to worry about during this period, which is a highly stressful time for many people. We want to ensure that patients who require medications receive them without having to come into the pharmacy or the hospital," Dr al-Hail stressed. "Members of our community who are most vulnerable to severe Covid-19 illness are patients with serious underlying medical conditions, such as serious heart conditions, chronic kidney disease, liver disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and those undergoing cancer treatment. So, limiting their potential exposure to this virus is vitally important.”
Dr al-Hail added that patients who have questions about their prescription, including how to use the medication or concerns about drug interactions, can contact the HMC Drug Information Center by telephone (4026 0747) between 8am and 8pm daily from Sunday to Thursday or by email at [email protected]