Consumers in Singapore may soon be able to buy online prescriptions of medicines from approved pharmacies.

The law change would apply only to refills – not new prescriptions – and the refills would presumably have to be from the same retail point of sale as the medicines were originally dispensed, to ensure records match.

Executives from the Guardian retail pharmacy chain have confirmed they are in talks with the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) with the scheme likely to be launched “in a few months”, according to a report published by Today.

Management of rival chain Watsons have confirmed they are in talks with the HSA as well.

Today said the move is intended to ease the pressure on polyclinics in the wake of Singapore’s manpower shortage as well as increase convenience and save time for consumers on long term medication.

“The regulatory part of it is yet to be sorted out … We have theoretical agreement from the HSA to do repeat prescription fulfilment and are working on a SOP (standard operating procedure), which we will then share with the regulators for them to come back on (with final approvals),” Sarah Boyd, Guardian Health & Beauty CEO, told Today.

“We are getting there and are able to launch that in a few months.”

Read the full story on Today here.