The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has decided to conditionally allow prescriptions such as anti-cancer drugs for online medical treatment for patients who are infected with the new coronavirus and are being treated at home.
As a countermeasure against the new coronavirus, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has allowed online medical examinations from the first medical examination as a special case since April last year, where you can receive medical examinations on your smartphone without going to a medical institution.
On the other hand, anti-cancer drugs, immunosuppressants, and drugs such as epilepsy and diabetes were not allowed to be prescribed at the first visit because of the high risk of side effects.
Under these circumstances, even if infected with the new coronavirus, some patients cannot be admitted to a medical institution and are being treated at home or accommodation, so if there is an urgent need, prescribe anticancer drugs from the first visit. It means admitting to do.
However, it is a condition that the doctor who treats online can have the nurse present near the patient to give instructions, and then observe the progress in face-to-face consultation.
The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has made this policy known to local governments and medical institutions nationwide, saying that "we have changed our response so that patients can receive the treatment they need in the face of tight medical care."