Ministry of National Defense Republic of Korea

Remote units now can order prescription-based medicines

30 types of medicines handled through Notification of the Ministry of Health and Welfare

Number of remote clinics to be increased to 76 next year

Solders in remote areas can now get video treatment around the clock

Quick decisions regarding prescription and evacuation to ensure golden time

Remote units with telemedicine booths are expecting to reduce pain of soldiers with diseases when prescription-based medicines, such as antibiotics, become available from upcoming December.

To mark the occasion of performing the 10,000th remote medical treatment on October 16, the Armed Forces Medical Command discussed the performance of the remote treatment system so far and plans for further development such as temporary approval of Notification of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, ‘Designation of Drug Treatment in special places.’

So far, only 15 general pharmaceuticals such as anti-inflammatory drugs, digestive medicines, antitussive expectorants, etc. have been available for medical service rooms of military unit with no army surgeons. As a result, remote units do not have prescription-based medicines, even after the AFMC launched the military telecare pilot project, and it was quite often necessary to evacuate soldiers with even mild illnesses so they could get drugs.

Captain Shin Jin-ho, who has been working as a telecare army surgeon at the AFMC, said “It was difficult to stock antibiotics as they are categorized as prescription medicines, which must be prescribed by a doctor. There are many illnesses that can be treated only with prescription-based drugs, and I’ve felt so sorry for soldiers who experience inconvenience as a result.”

Proposed by Captain Shin, the expansion of medicines stocked at remote units is now waiting for a Notification of the Ministry of Health and Welfare after deliberation of the Defense Minister and approval of the Health Ministry. When the Notification is effective, medical noncoms and medics will be able deliver the telecare military surgeon-prescribed drugs to patients, and remote units will be able to handle more than 30 drugs, twice the current number.

The allowed drugs will be limited to oral medicines; injections are not included.

In particular, the expanded availability of drugs such as Cephradine, an antibiotic used for the treatment of various infections; Hydroxyzine HCL, an antihistamine; and steroid creams for skin problems is expected to enable huge improvements in soldiers’ health and welfare. Captain Shin commented, “Soldiers who just have a slight cold will no longer need to wait 2-3 weeks for a traveling clinic to get treatment and drug prescription, or be evacuated over a long distance.”

The number of military remote medical treatment units has been expanded to 40 in total – 30 units in army, 6 in navy, 2 in air force and 2 in marine corps, since 2014, and is expected to increase to 63 within this year and 76 next year, continuously expanding in number.

Since the telemedicine booth is installed in guard posts (GPs) and island areas, it has been widely accepted by soldiers that they can receive a video treatment whenever they need it, from specialist medical surgeons who are standing by at the medical situation center around the clock.

As well, emergency patients can be immediately evacuated to the military hospital or the nearest civil one by the emergency patient supporting team within the medical situation center, AFMC, and it is possible to obtain the golden time necessary for effective patient treatment as well.

In a performance analysis of the military telemedicine system, it was found that 81% of patients were able to address their symptoms through remote medical treatment only, while 400 patients had to be evacuated patients because a serious illness was suspected. Respiratory system-related illnesses such as the common cold were the most commonly treated disease, while orthopedic treatment such as fracture was the condition that most frequently required evacuation.

Brigadier General Hwang Il-woong, a commander in the armed forces medical command, said, “Military telemedicine is an essential system that allows soldiers in remote units can overcome temporal and spatial restraints. It has been making a great contribution to achieving the "golden time" necessary for effective patient treatment, because we can make quicker and more certain decisions on patient treatment and whether or not an evacuation is necessary.”

By Chul-Hwan, Kim < droid001@dema.mil.kr >
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