Legal Accountability of Telemedicine Platforms for Medication Errors in Online Healthcare Services

Abstract

The rapid expansion of telemedicine has changed the way patients obtain medical consultations and prescriptions. However, medication errors occurring through online healthcare services may involve multiple actors, including physicians, pharmacies, technology platforms, and third-party service providers. This fragmented structure creates uncertainty regarding legal accountability when patients suffer harm from incorrect medication information or prescription-related errors. This article examines the legal responsibility of telemedicine platforms for medication errors arising within digital healthcare services in Indonesia. Using a normative juridical approach, the study analyzes healthcare regulation, professional medical responsibility, consumer protection principles, and platform governance. The analysis demonstrates that existing liability frameworks tend to focus primarily on healthcare professionals while providing less clarity concerning the responsibilities of digital platforms that facilitate, structure, or influence the delivery of healthcare services. The article argues that a platform's responsibility should depend on its functional role rather than merely its formal classification as a technology intermediary. Platforms exercising substantial control over clinical workflows, prescription processes, medication information, or patient communication should bear corresponding duties of safety, transparency, and risk management. A functional accountability model is proposed to strengthen patient protection while maintaining appropriate distinctions between professional medical liability and digital platform responsibility.