Online PrEP and PEP Through Telemedicine: How It Works, Is It Safe?
PrEP and PEP can be started through a remote consultation with a doctor, but convenience must come with standards. Here is what a good online service looks like and what should not be done online.
Key points
- PrEP and PEP can be started through a remote consultation, but an HIV test, such as a fingerstick kit, is always needed before starting.
- PEP is urgent. If delivery cannot reach you in time, go to a nearby hospital or clinic straight away.
- Sores, severe symptoms, sexual assault and some physical examinations still need an in-person visit.
I care for many patients who live far from Surat Thani. Some live in districts without a sexual health clinic, others do not want to go to a hospital because they are afraid of meeting someone they know. Many visitors on the islands, such as Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao, are in the same situation. Telemedicine has made HIV prevention much easier to reach, but convenience must come with standards. This article explains what a good online service should look like, and what should not be done online.
What are the rules for telemedicine in Thailand?
Telemedicine in Thailand has a clear framework: the Ministry of Public Health Notification on Standards for Healthcare Facility Services Using Telemedicine, B.E. 2564 (2021), together with the Thai Medical Council's guidance on telemedicine and online clinics. The key principles are:
- Services must be provided by a licensed healthcare facility and a doctor with a professional licence.
- The patient's identity must be confirmed, and medical records kept just as for an in-person visit.
- The doctor must assess whether the issue is suitable for remote care. If it is not, they must advise an in-person visit.
- Health information must be protected under Thailand's Personal Data Protection Act B.E. 2562 (2019).
How online PrEP works
- Book a consultation by video call or secure chat to go through your risks, health conditions, current medicines and any past PEP.
- HIV test before starting. If you do not yet have a lab result, the clinic sends you a fingerstick test kit with instructions, and you send a photo of the result to the doctor. Read how to test in HIV self-test.
- Baseline blood tests, such as kidney function and hepatitis B, at a hospital or lab near you, with the results sent to the doctor.
- The doctor prescribes and explains how to take it, daily or 2-1-1 as suitable. See PrEP and On-demand PrEP (2-1-1).
- Delivery in discreet packaging, with no medicine name on the outside.
- Follow-up every 3 months: repeat HIV and STI tests, a review of how you are taking the medicine, and regular kidney checks.
- 1Doctor consultationSecure video call or chat; review risks and medicines
- 2Fingertip HIV testTest yourself as instructed and send the photo to the doctor
- 3Blood tests nearbyKidney function and hepatitis B
- 4Order, discreet deliveryDaily or 2-1-1; packaging doesn't name the medicine
- 5Follow up every 3 monthsRepeat HIV and STI tests; kidney checks periodically
Provided by licensed facilities and doctors under the 2021 Ministry of Public Health notification.
Online PEP: timing comes first
PEP must be started as soon as possible, ideally within 24 hours and no later than 72 hours. A remote consultation allows a quick assessment, but you also need to consider whether the medicine can reach you in time.
- If you are in an area where express delivery can arrive in time, the doctor will send the medicine with a test kit and ask you to start as soon as it arrives, after your HIV test.
- If delivery might not arrive in time, or you are getting close to 72 hours, go to a hospital or clinic near you to get PEP straight away, then come back for remote follow-up.
Read all the steps in PEP: emergency HIV medicine after exposure and Just had an HIV exposure? What to do now.
What works well online, and what needs an in-person visit
| Works well online | Needs an in-person visit |
|---|---|
| Assessing risk and starting PrEP or PEP | Sores, bumps or rashes that need examining and swabbing |
| PrEP follow-up every 3 months with blood results from a local lab | Lower abdominal pain with fever, a painful swollen testicle |
| Explaining STI results and planning treatment | Injections, such as treatment for syphilis or gonorrhea |
| Counseling about relationships, worries and telling a partner | Sexual assault: go to hospital immediately |
| Reviewing medicines and side effects | Severe allergic reaction, difficulty breathing, facial swelling: call 1669 |
The privacy you should expect
- Your information is used only for your care and is not disclosed without your consent.
- You have the right to see or request a copy of your health information.
- Packaging can carry no medicine name or clinic name on the outside if you prefer.
- Do not send photos or personal information through channels that do not belong directly to the healthcare facility.
Warning signs of an online service to avoid
- Selling medicine with no doctor's assessment, no questions about your history, and no HIV test before starting
- No named healthcare facility or responsible doctor
- Selling loose tablets, or medicine without a registration number. Read about choosing medicine in Do PrEP/PEP brands differ?
- No system for follow-up appointments
Besides PrEP and PEP, what else can be discussed online?
Many issues can start well remotely, such as interpreting STI results, anxiety after a risk, sexual function problems, adjusting hormones when blood results are available, and relationship counseling. If worry about infections is affecting your daily life, read STI anxiety: when the fear keeps you awake, or see when it is worth consulting a sexologist.
Dr. Kris Clinic's service
Dr. Kris Clinic offers online consultations anywhere in Thailand with a family physician who cares for sexual health. The service covers starting and following up PrEP, urgent PEP assessment, discreet delivery of fingerstick test kits and medicine, interpreting results, and referral when you need to be seen in person. English-speaking consultations are available. If you are in or near Surat Thani, you are welcome to come to the clinic as well.
Medicines and services your doctor may consider
- PrEP Teno-EM (30 tabs)฿1,290Details & order →
- PrEP TAF-EM (30 tabs)฿1,290Details & order →
- PrEP Ricovir-EM (30 tabs)฿1,590Details & order →
- HIV self-test kit฿250Details & order →
- PEP within 72 hours (28 days)฿1,590Details & order →
Prices are per pack. Every medicine is prescribed only after a doctor's assessment; your doctor will advise whether it suits you. See all medicines & services
Want help with this? Three simple steps
Reading is a good start. When you are ready, check where you are, see how a consultation works, then book a time that suits you.
1Free 2-minute self-checkSexual-health self-check — see your result instantly and send it to the doctor if you like.Start the self-check →
2See the steps and feesIndividual from 990 THB · couple 1,590 THB · 30–60 minutes, at the clinic or online via MCS Telemedicine.How a consultation works →
3Book with the doctorPick a time online or message us on LINE. Come on your own or with your partner. Payment confirms the booking.Book online →Self-checks are a guide only and do not replace a doctor's assessment. Outcomes vary from person to person, depending on the severity of symptoms, the complexity of the problem and other factors.
HIV risk, or want to start PrEP?
Consult in clinic or online. After a recent exposure, PEP works best the sooner it starts — within 72 hours.
Every medicine and service requires a doctor's assessment first.
Frequently asked questions
Is getting PrEP online legal?
Yes, when the service is provided by a licensed healthcare facility and a licensed doctor, following the Ministry of Public Health's telemedicine standards, with an assessment and an HIV test before starting.
Do I have to turn my camera on to talk to the doctor?
A video call gives the best assessment, but in some cases a phone call or secure chat with identity confirmation can be used, at the doctor's discretion.
Can PEP be delivered to my home in time?
It depends on where you are and how much time has passed since the risk. If you are not sure it will arrive in time, go to a nearby healthcare facility straight away, because time matters more than convenience.
Do I need blood tests at a hospital?
Before starting, a fingerstick HIV test is fine. But kidney function, hepatitis B and long-term follow-up should be tested at a laboratory, with results sent to the doctor.
อ่านบทความนี้เป็นภาษาไทย
รับ PrEP และ PEP ออนไลน์ผ่าน Telemedicine ทำได้อย่างไร ปลอดภัยไหม →
References
- Ministry of Public Health Notification on Standards for Healthcare Facility Services Using Telemedicine, B.E. 2564 (2021). Royal Thai Government Gazette, 1 February 2021 (in Thai).
- Personal Data Protection Act B.E. 2562 (2019) (in Thai).
- World Health Organization. Differentiated and simplified pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention: update to WHO implementation guidance. Technical brief, 2022.
- World Health Organization. WHO recommends injectable lenacapavir for HIV prevention (including recommendation for simplified testing to support delivery via telehealth). 14 July 2025.
This article is for education and does not replace diagnosis or treatment by a doctor. If you have symptoms or concerns, please see a doctor.
