Online consultations

Online Doctor Consultation in the Philippines: How It Works

What an online consultation with a Philippine physician can and cannot handle, how the appointment runs, what it costs, and what to prepare before the call.

Telemedicine in the Philippines stopped being a pandemic novelty and became ordinary. Patients in Ilocos Norte use it for the same reasons patients in Manila do: the specialist is not always nearby, a workday does not leave room for a two-hour round trip, and some questions genuinely do not need a physical room.

This page explains what an online consultation is at La Peau Parfaite, what it can and cannot do, and how to get the most out of thirty minutes.

What an online consultation actually is

It is a scheduled consultation with a licensed physician, conducted by video, with a real medical record. It has a beginning, an assessment, a plan and a follow-up, exactly like a clinic visit. The difference is that the examination is limited to what can be seen and described.

It is not a chat where you send a photo and receive a prescription. Prescribing without any assessment is not good medicine, and it is how people end up on the wrong antibiotic for three weeks.

What it handles well

Online consultations are genuinely effective for a defined set of problems:

• Skin complaints that are visible: acne, rashes, eczema flares, melasma, fungal infections, reactions to a product.
• Follow-ups after a procedure or a treatment change, where the doctor already knows your history.
• Laboratory results, explained and acted on: thyroid, lipid panel, blood sugar, urinalysis.
• Prescription refills for stable maintenance medicines, with the checks described on the refill page.
• Second opinions before you commit to an expensive treatment plan.
• Travel advice and simple preventive questions.

What it cannot do

Honesty here saves money and, occasionally, something worse.

• Any procedure: no injectables, no lasers, no mole removal, no biopsy.
• Anything requiring palpation, auscultation or an instrument: abdominal pain, a breast lump, an ear canal, a joint that needs to be moved.
• Anything requiring imaging or a same-day physical test.
• First assessment of a suspicious mole or lesion, which needs dermoscopy in person.
• Certification that depends on a physical examination, which is why some medical certificates cannot be issued remotely.
• Controlled or regulated medicines, which need a proper in-person assessment and a special prescription.

When not to book online at all

Go to an emergency room or call emergency services for chest pain or pressure, difficulty breathing, sudden weakness or numbness on one side, severe bleeding, a fever with a stiff neck, or a rapidly spreading skin infection with fever. Do not wait for a video slot.

How an appointment runs at La Peau Parfaite

1. You send a request through the booking page, choosing an online consultation and the day that suits you. No account is created and no payment is taken on the site.
2. The clinic confirms the time and the fee directly, usually by message or email, using the contact details you left.
3. Before the appointment, you receive the link to use. You do not need to install anything unusual; a browser on a phone is enough.
4. At the agreed time, the consultation runs for about thirty minutes: history, what you can show on camera, assessment, plan, and instructions.
5. The prescription, if one is needed, and the aftercare instructions follow in the form your pharmacy will accept.
6. A follow-up is scheduled if the plan needs one, and the clinic keeps the record.

What it costs

The published price for a general online consultation is ₱550 for thirty minutes. An aesthetic medicine consultation is ₱600. Refills and certificate requests are separate items, listed on the 2026 price list.

Payment is arranged with the clinic when the appointment is confirmed. The website never takes a card.

What to prepare before the call

Thirty minutes disappears quickly when the connection is poor.

• Your medicine list, with doses, including supplements and anything you take without a prescription.
• Recent laboratory results, photographed and ready to send.
• A blood pressure log if the subject is hypertension, with readings from several days.
• Good light and a stable connection. For skin, daylight from a window beats a ring light.
• Your three most important questions, written down. The fourth and fifth often do not matter.
• A quiet room, because the doctor will ask personal questions.

Privacy and records

The consultation is confidential. Notes are kept in the clinic's record system, and the same rules apply as for an in-person visit. Requests sent through this website are used to arrange the appointment. The clinic does not discuss your case with a family member unless you have said that it may.

Questions patients ask before booking

Is an online consultation legal in the Philippines?

Yes. Telemedicine is recognised practice, performed by licensed physicians, and it carries the same professional and record-keeping obligations as a clinic visit.

Can I get a prescription online?

Yes, when the assessment supports one. Some medicines require in-person evaluation, and controlled substances always do.

Is it cheaper than a clinic visit?

The fee is lower than a comparable in-clinic consultation, and it saves transport and time. It is not free, and it does not replace an examination when one is needed.

What if the connection drops?

The clinic reschedules or continues by another channel within the same appointment window. Tell the clinic immediately if you cannot reconnect.

Can I book from outside Ilocos Norte?

Yes. Online consultations are available anywhere in the Philippines, and patients abroad sometimes book while visiting family. Time zone differences are handled when the appointment is confirmed.

You can request an online consultation now, or read the clinic checklist if you are still deciding whether to be seen in person.

La Peau Parfaite Medical ClinicWritten and fact-checked by the La Peau Parfaite clinic team. Clinical decisions are made by Dr. Katheryne Castillo, MD during a consultation, never on a web page. Questions about this page: doctor@md-k.com.