Although the scope of telemedicine encompasses many fields of
technology, it most commonly describes the practice of medicine
using videoconferencing, telephones, and the Internet.1
Telepharmacy, a more recent concept, is analogous to
telemedicine. The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy
defines telepharmacy as "the provision of pharmaceutical care
through the use of telecommunications and information
technologies to patients at a distance."1 Already, telepharmacy
has had a significant impact, and its influence is beginning to
show promise in a particularly underserved population?rural
communities. Rural communities have been losing vital access to
health care for several years, at least in part due to the
disappearance of local pharmacies.2 In fact, some rural
pharmacies have become increasingly difficult to sustain. Older
pharmacists working in these communities cannot find their
replacements because of the overall nationwide pharmacist
shortage and because salaries for new pharmacists have become to