WhatsApp for medical practices and clinics

WhatsApp Business API for doctors and medical clinics

Book OPD slots, tell patients when their token is near, send prescriptions after the consult and remind them when the review visit is due.

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General physicians and family doctorsPaediatricians and gynaecologistsSpecialist OPD clinicsPolyclinics with several doctors

WhatsApp chat from a family clinic telling a patient that the doctor is seeing token 18 and her token 23 is coming up soon

How can a doctor's clinic use WhatsApp Business API?

Doctors' clinics and polyclinics use WhatsApp Business API to book OPD appointments through a chatbot, send live token updates so patients wait at home rather than in the corridor, share e-prescriptions and lab advice after the consultation, send teleconsultation links, and remind patients when a review visit or repeat test is due.

Updated 15 Nov 2026

Key facts: WhatsApp for medical practices and clinics

Channel: WhatsApp Business API
Best for: OPD booking bot; Live token updates; Prescription after consult
Message types: Chatbot, Utility template, Service reply
Who it suits: General physicians and family doctors, Paediatricians and gynaecologists, Specialist OPD clinics, Polyclinics with several doctors
Rules: Meta-approved templates and customer opt-in; free-form replies only within 24 hours of the customer's last message
Pricing model: Meta's per-message rate by template category, plus a MsgClub platform fee. WhatsApp API pricing explained
Integration: REST API and webhooks (message.delivered, message.read, message.received) into your own software. WhatsApp API

What problems does WhatsApp solve for medical practices and clinics?

Crowded waiting roomsForty patients arrive at 6 pm for an evening OPD, sit for two hours and the receptionist answers the same 'how many before me?' question all evening.

Phone lines busy during OPD hoursPatients cannot get through to book, so they walk in without a slot and the queue gets longer.

Review visits missedA diabetic patient told to come back in 3 months with an HbA1c report rarely remembers on their own.

Which WhatsApp messages should medical practices and clinics send?

Chatbot

OPD booking botPatients pick the doctor, date and morning or evening session from a list, and receive a token number from your clinic software.→ Bookings without phone calls

Utility template

Live token updatesWhen the patient's token is 5 away, a message tells them to leave home, so they arrive just in time.→ Shorter waiting room crowd

Service reply

Prescription after consultThe doctor's e-prescription PDF, diet sheet or physiotherapy advice is sent in the patient's chat right after the visit.→ No lost prescriptions

Utility template

Review visit remindersReminds the patient on the date the doctor set, with the tests to get done before coming.→ Better follow-up

Utility template

Teleconsult link and feeSends the video consult link and the fee payment link before the slot, as allowed under India's Telemedicine Practice Guidelines.→ Consults that start on time

Utility template

Doctor on leave noticesInforms patients booked for a session that the doctor is unavailable and offers the next open slots.→ No wasted trips

Ready-to-use WhatsApp templates for medical practices and clinics

Copy, edit and use these as a starting point.

Token nearUtility

Hi {{1}}, Dr. {{2}} is now seeing token {{3}}. Your token is {{4}}. Please reach {{5}} in the next 20 minutes.

Review visit dueUtility

Hi {{1}}, Dr. {{2}} advised a review visit around {{3}}. Please bring your {{4}} report. Tap below to book a token.
[Book token] [Call clinic]

Session cancelledUtility

Hi {{1}}, Dr. {{2}}'s OPD on {{3}} is cancelled. We are sorry for the trouble. Please choose another session.
[See open slots]

Submit each template to Meta for approval in your MsgClub panel. {{1}}, {{2}} are variables.

How does WhatsApp work for medical practices and clinics?

Booking creates a tokenThe patient books through the bot, the front desk or your clinic software, which issues a token.
The queue triggers alertsAs the doctor calls each token, your software tells the MsgClub API who is 5 places away.
After the consultThe prescription and next visit date go to the patient's chat from the clinic number.
The review date schedules a reminderThe follow-up date is stored and a utility template goes out on time.

Connect your softwareClinic management or EMR software can push bookings, token calls and prescriptions to the MsgClub API, and the booking bot can look up open slots from your system through a webhook. WhatsApp API · API and webhooks · Pricing

ComplianceKeep diagnoses and test results out of template text; share them in the chat or as a document after the patient engages. NMC's conduct rules limit how doctors may advertise, so avoid promotional broadcasts beyond health camps and check-up reminders to consenting patients.

Which other channels suit medical practices and clinics?

Use them together from one account, with shared contacts, reports and webhooks.

SMS for medical practices and clinicsHow can a doctor's clinic use SMS for patients?See SMS

RCS for medical practices and clinicsHow can a clinic use RCS messages for patients?See RCS

IVR for medical practices and clinicsDoes a small clinic need an IVR?See IVR

Voice broadcast for medical practices and clinicsHow can a clinic use automated voice calls?See Voice broadcast

Missed call for medical practices and clinicsCan a clinic use a missed call number for appointments?See Missed call

AI calling for medical practices and clinicsTwo-way AI agents that talk to callers in Hindi, English and other Indian languages, unlike a recorded message.See AI Voice

Compare every channel for medical practices and clinics

Questions about WhatsApp Business API for medical practices and clinics

Can a doctor send prescriptions on WhatsApp?

Yes. India's Telemedicine Practice Guidelines allow a registered medical practitioner to issue prescriptions after a consultation, including through chat, within the limits on which medicines may be prescribed remotely. Send the signed e-prescription PDF from the clinic number so it stays on record.

Can patients see how many tokens are ahead of them?

Yes, if your clinic software records which token the doctor is seeing. It calls the MsgClub API, and each waiting patient gets a utility message when they are a few tokens away. Patients can also type 'status' to ask the bot for the current token.

Is WhatsApp suitable for emergencies?

No. A WhatsApp number may not be watched every minute, so put your emergency phone line and the nearest hospital in the bot's welcome message and auto-replies. WhatsApp suits bookings, queue updates, prescriptions and routine questions.

Can a clinic send health tips or camp invitations?

Only to patients who opted in to updates, using marketing templates. Keep them informative, such as a free diabetes screening camp, and avoid claims about cures. Medical councils restrict doctors from soliciting patients, so check your council's rules before any broadcast.

What does WhatsApp cost a small OPD clinic?

A clinic mostly sends utility templates such as token and review reminders, charged per delivered message at Meta's utility rate, plus MsgClub's platform fee. Replies to patients who write first are free up to 1,000 a month per number under Meta's current pricing.

Can a polyclinic run several doctors on one number?

Yes. The booking bot lists each doctor, and the team inbox routes chats to the right reception desk or assistant. Templates carry the doctor's name as a variable, so one approved template serves every consultant.