However, the move has caught the attention of pharmacy and GP industry groups that have warned against relying on direct-to-consumer telehealth services, which they say can compromise patient care.

“These services put the onus on patients to know their history and inform their usual GP and other specialists of what medicines, diagnoses, or advice they have been given,” Royal Australian College of General Practitioners president Dr Nicole Higgins said.

“There is a place for telehealth as a complement to in-person care. However, to ensure quality and continuity of care, it is important for these services to be provided by the patient’s usual GP or practice.”

A spokesman for the Pharmacy Guild of Australia also said it was monitoring Woolworths’ focus on the sector closely, highlighting that most patients live close enough to a pharmacy to not have to rely on delivery for prescriptions.

But Sarathy said the group’s virtual consultations were not designed to replace in-person consultations, but rather provide another option for times when users can’t access other care.

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“We know that there are many reasons why patients may need to speak with a real GP via phone or video call. For example, when they are not physically able to leave the house, for children’s health advice, or simply because they cannot access their regular doctor,” he said.

“We hope our telehealth offering helps bridge the gap in those moments when customers need fast and convenient access to a health practitioner.”

Woolworths and fellow retail giant Wesfarmers have been focused on expanding their healthcare offers in recent years. Both companies have lobbied takeover offers for Priceline operator Australian Pharmaceutical Industries. Wesfarmers ultimately bought the business in a deal worth more than $770 million.