Bayer - DOC2US launch telepharmacy dedicated to family planning

BAYER – DOC2US LAUNCH TELEPHARMACY DEDICATED TO FAMILY PLANNING

AUGUST 19, 2021 @ 9.45PM

The statistics of unplanned pregnancies in Malaysia in the past decade shows an average rate of baby dumping occurring once every three days.

Bayer has introduced Malaysia’s first telepharmacy dedicated to family planning on DOC2US platform. The telepharmacy platform aims to empower women to take charge of their reproductive health and make informed family planning decisions through accessible oral contraceptive and free teleconsultation by pharmacists.

Bayer, in joint effort with Alpro Pharmacy, BIG Pharmacy and telemedicine platform DOC2US launched the first telepharmacy to empower and educate women on their reproductive health and family planning options. Daily articles featured on the web and app version will enable users to engage and digest important health knowledge.

DOC2US, allows users to virtually communicate with healthcare professionals at anytime from anywhere. Even walk-in clients can seamlessly consult with healthcare professionals from Alpro Pharmacy and BIG Pharmacy, have their oral contraceptive pills (OCP) prescribed electronically and conveniently select for it to be delivered for free or self pick-up at the closest pharmacy. The telepharmacy is now available on the DOC2US website and will be made available on the mobile app towards the end of August.

As people spend more time at home during the lockdown period, the frequency of unplanned pregnancies and unexpected parents to-be have been on the rise. Many women are putting off face-to-face professional advice and medical consultations on their health and family planning needs due to COVID-19 restrictions and fear of contracting the virus. As such, the lack of or the absence of family planning needs has very likely resulted in unplanned pregnancies.

The statistics of unplanned pregnancies in Malaysia in the past decade shows an average rate of baby dumping occurring once every three days. The number of unplanned pregnancies increased during the first phase of the Movement Control Order (MCO) and was reflected in reports from the Reproductive Rights Advocacy Alliance Malaysia (RRAAM). Their abortion hotline saw almost a ten-fold increase in call traffic regarding late pregnancies and concurrently, clinics reported a 50% drop in patient visits due to travel restrictions and financial struggles.

It often goes undiscussed, but unplanned pregnancies can have negative effects towards the mental, physical, and emotional wellbeing of women. It can also lead to or add tension to financial stress, especially during the uncertainties we currently face.

The increase of unplanned pregnancies show a low uptake and awareness of family planning options, which can be contributed by cultural or religious stigma, made worse by the current pandemic. It can also lead to unwarranted fear of side effects and risks or other misconceptions, ultimately preventing women from seeking information and medical advice on oral contraception.

“We want to clear the stigma and misconceptions on oral contraceptive risks or side effects, and educate women about the choices available so that they can take charge of their reproductive health. The platform connects people for free telepharmacy consultation and it features articles, research studies and open forum dedicated to help with family planning needs. We hope that these initiatives will help clear any concerns,” said Loh Veng Foon, Business Development Manager of BIG Pharmacy.

Lim Jack Shen said “Taking on family planning can significantly enhance quality of life in terms of financial and overall wellbeing. The COVID-19 pandemic is posing an urgent threat to women’s health and ability to plan their family planning needs by limiting face-to-face medical consultations for seeking professional advice. The timely launch of the telepharmacy dedicated to family planning is certainly an innovative step towards empowering more pharmacists to play an active role in improving contraception education and counselling. Increasing the accessibility to contraceptives can decrease the unmet family planning needs and destigmatise contraceptive myths and the act of seeking medical consultation.”

As a mother, wife and successful career driven woman, Tasha Shilla shared that “planning when to have children with proper consultation has allowed me to stay on track with my career goals and has given my family the flexibility to prepare for next steps at our own pace. There’s a certain sense of freedom when it comes to making informed family planning decisions.”

Bayer’s effort to raise awareness on the benefits of family planning and contraceptive counselling encourages women to make informed choices with the freedom to decide when and how many children to have. This includes ‘Ask Maya’ chatbot and ‘How U Know’ website that aims to bridge knowledge gaps by providing easier access to reliable information on contraceptive options and reproductive health.

​BAYER – DOC2US LAUNCH TELEPHARMACY DEDICATED TO FAMILY PLANNING

BAYER – DOC2US LAUNCH TELEPHARMACY DEDICATED TO FAMILY PLANNING