Home delivery of medicines expanded to cover all HMC patients

Tribune News NetworkDohaThe Hamad Medical Corporation has expanded the home-delivery of medicines to all its patients in Qatar, Executive Director of HMC’s Pharmacy Department Dr Moza al Hail said on Saturday. The home-delivery service was launched as a part of efforts to reduce people's trips to hospitals and pharmacies and to encourage social distancing.The expansion of the service was 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 daily from Saturday to Thursday. Q-Post will deliver their medications on the next business day. All Q-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.Dr Hail said 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.Members of our community who are most vulnerable to severe COVID-19 illness are patient 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,” said Dr Hail.Dr 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 at 4026 0747 between 8am and 8pm daily from Sunday to Thursday or by email at DIC@hamad.qa.