Telepharmacy has the potential to improve access to pharmacy services in both rural and urban settings. However, limited studies have examined differences in patients' perspectives between these populations. This study assessed patients' expectations, willingness to use (WTU), and willingness to pay (WTP) for telepharmacy, and identified determinants of expectations. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among patients attending community pharmacies in rural and urban areas in Indonesia. Data were collected using a validated self-administered questionnaire assessing sociodemographic, expectations, WTU, WTP, and preferred telepharmacy services. Expectation scores were compared using the Mann–Whitney U test, and determinants were examined using multiple linear regression. A total of 405 patients were included (204 rural; 201 urban). Rural patients reported significantly higher expectations toward telepharmacy than urban patients (mean rank 223.08 vs. 182.62, p < 0.001). No sociodemographic factors were associated with expectations in rural areas. In urban areas, older age (B = −0.14, p < 0.001) and lower household income (B = 3.41, p = 0.007) were associated with lower expectations. WTU was reported by 68.1% of rural and 91.5% of urban patients ( p < 0.001). WTP was higher in rural areas (99.3%; most common amount IDR 10,000 USD 0.64) than in urban areas (92.4%; most common amount IDR 15,000 USD 0.96). Drug counseling was the most preferred service in both groups. Urban patients showed greater willingness to use telepharmacy, whereas rural patients demonstrated higher expectations and willingness to pay. These findings highlight the need for patient-centered and financially sustainable telepharmacy models tailored to population differences. • Telepharmacy expectations were high in both rural and urban settings, with rural patients reporting significantly higher expectation scores than urban patients. • Willingness to use telepharmacy was greater in urban areas, whereas willingness to pay was higher among rural patients. • Drug counseling was the most preferred telepharmacy service in both rural and urban populations. • Sociodemographic factors were not associated with expectations in rural areas, while older age and lower household income were associated with lower expectations in urban areas.
Ilma et al. (Sun,) studied this question.