Abu Hassan (fourth right) joins others in a group photo after launching Sarawak’s fourth drive-thru pharmacy at Miri Hospital.
MIRI: Sarawak now has four drive-thru pharmacies, with the latest unit located at Miri Hospital.
According to Health Department Sarawak deputy director (pharmacy) Abu Hassan Alshaari Abdul Jabar, the drive-thru pharmacy service was introduced by the Pharmaceutical Services Division of Ministry of Health Malaysia (MoH) to resolve the problems encountered by patients during their medicine collection visits such as inadequate parking space, traffic congestion and long waiting time.
He pointed out that the service would provide convenient alternative to the standard method of collecting one’s follow-up or subsequent medicines at the pharmacy.
Abu Hassan said the patients’ medicines would be prepared before the appointment date; thus, no waiting would be required for patients coming to collect their prescriptions.
The introduction of the service, he added, was also among the measures meant to reduce the risk of Covid-19 spread.
“Nonetheless, the patients need to register for the service before subsequent medicine collection.
“The daily opening hours are from 8.30am to 4.30pm – except on weekends and public holidays,” he told reporters after officiating at the opening ceremony of the drive-thru pharmacy at Miri Hospital yesterday.
Sarawak’s first three drive-thru pharmacies are located at Sibu Hospital, which opened on Dec 2, 2019; Sarawak General Hospital (at Kozi Square Mall) in Kuching, which began operations on April 22 last year; and Kota Samarahan Health Clinic, which went operational on June 3 last year.