Title 7. PATIENT COUNSELING.pdf ✅

PHARMD GURU Page 1 Patient counseling is nothing but providing information to patients and their representatives regarding disease, drug therapy, and duration of therapy, side effects, and life style modifications. OUTCOMES OF PATIENT COUNSELING:  Patient recognizes the importance of their wellbeing.  It encourages the patient to establish a working relationship with a pharmacist & foundation for continual interaction and consultation.  Improves the coping strategies to deal with medication side effects and drug interactions.  Motivates the patient to take medicine for improvement of his/her health status.  The patient becomes an informed, efficient and active participant in disease treatment and self-care management.  Develops the ability in patient to take appropriate medication related decision concerning the compliance or adherence to their medication regimen. STAGES IN PATIENT COUNSELING: 1. Introduction. 2. Content. 3. Process. 4. Conclusion. 1) INTRODUCTION:  Review the patient record prior to counseling.  Conduct an appropriate patient counseling introduction by self and patient.  Explain the purpose of counseling session.  Obtain pertinent initial drug related information. E.g.: drug allergies, and other medications.  Warn the patient about taking other medications including OTC drugs, herbals, or botanical drugs and alcohol which could inhibit or interact into the prescribed medication.  Asses the patient understandings of reason for therapy.  Assess any actual or problems of importance to the patient. PATIENT COUNSELING
PHARMD GURU Page 2 2) CONTENTS:  Discuss the name and indication of the medication.  Explain the dosage regimen including duration of therapy when appropriate.  Assist the patient in developing a plan to incorporate the medication regimen into his/her daily routine.  Explain how long it will take for the drug to show its effect.  Discuss storage and refilling information.  Emphasize the benefits of completing the medication as prescribed.  Discuss the potential side effect.  Discuss how to prevent or manage the side effects of the drug.  Discuss the precautions.  Discuss the significant drug-drug, drug-food, and drug-disease interaction.  Explain precisely what to do if the patient misses the dose.  Explore the potential problems of the patient. 3) PROCESSES:  Use the language the patient can understand.  Use the appropriate counseling aids to support counseling.  Present the fact and order in a logical order.  Use open-ended question.  Use both verbal and non-verbal behavior. 4) CONCLUSION:  Verify the patient understanding via feedback.  Summaries by acknowledging or emphasizing key points of information.  Provide an opportunity for final concerns or questions.  Help the patient to plan, follow up and next consecutive steps. BARRIERS TO PATIENT COUNSELING: The barriers that come in the way of conducting patient counseling are: 1) Environment: a) A busy pharmacy b) Lack of privacy c) Noise
PHARMD GURU Page 3 d) Physical barrier 2) Patient factors: a) Physical disabilities b) Comprehensive difficulties c) Illiteracy 3. The pharmacist 4. Time ENVIRONMENT:  Community pharmacy, hospital OP pharmacy and hospital ward are all areas where pharmacist uses their communication skills in a professional capacity.  None of these areas are ideal but an awareness of the limitation of the environment goes part the way to resolving some of the problems. A BUSY PHARMACY:  This may create the impression there appears to be little time to discuss personnel matter with the patients.  The pharmacist is supervising number of difficult activities at the same time and is unable to devote his/her full attention to an individual matter.  It is important that pharmacist organize their patterns in such a way as to minimize their impression. LACK OF PRIVACY:  Both community and hospital outpatient departments have counseling rooms/ areas but may have not, many hospital wards could be linked to a busy thorough fare.  For good communication to be it is often necessary for the consultation to take place in a quite environment, free of interruptions.  The above mentioned condition in which pharmacist frequently work require additional skills to overcome the lack of ideal facilities. NOISE:  Noise levels within the working environment are an obvious barrier to good communication.