Have you ever feel that as pharmacy student you

do not really know how to choose medicine ?

Have you ever want to help others

people in your capacity as
pharmacist ?
Have you ever want to achive
something precious during your
college life?

PATIENT COUNSELING: KNOW THE BASIC

By
Tika Nurhasanah, S.Farm.,
Apt
Patient Counseling Club UI

OUTLINE

Why counsel?
What makes good counseling?
What should be avoided in
counseling

WHY COUNSEL???
Ensure patient understands their
therapy
How to take and when to take
Monitoring Points
Answer any questions that the
patient may have regarding:
Medications
Disease state/progression
Overall lifestyle & health

WHAT MAKES GOOD COUNSELING?

HAVE LOGICAL FLOW!

Dont jump around

SHORT 5-10
minutes

INFORMATION
DELIVER
CLEARLY

PRIVATE

COUNSELING STEPS

Introduction

Gathering Patient information

Giving Information

Final Verification

Conclusion & Closing

1. INTRODUCTION

Introduce yourself, and as a

pharmacist
Offer your help to your patient
State time factor
Make known that everything
discuses is private and confidential

2. GATHERING INFORMATION
Ask open ended questions
Opened ended questions lets the patients
open up and explain what they already know
Saves time by not repeating what they already know
Can clarify what is not correct
Can find out more information than you expected

Avoid asking questions where patients can

answer yes or no
Sometimes patient dont pay attention

2. GATHERING INFORMATION
1. Ask three prime questions for prescription drug?
2. Have you ever had this Medication before?
3. Do you have any allergics?
4. Are you consuming alcohol or smoking?
5. (If woman) Are you pregnant or breastfeeding?
6. If child, ask the weight.
7. Do you currently undertaking other
medication ? such as vitamin/supplement, herbs,
otc & nutraceutical.
8. Do you have other medical problem?
(Diabetes/hypertension, etc ussually only for
geriatri)
9. Do you have any lab results (BP, glucose level
etc)?

3. GIVING INFORMATION
1. Name of the medicine (generic & brand,
dosage form and dose
2. Medicines indication (explain it in
without using medicall terms
3. How to take/ use medication)
4. What happen If you miss a dose of this
medicine
5. Special precaution in use
6. Common adverse event
7. How to store it
8. Non pharmacological treatment

FINAL VERIFICATION

Ask patient to repeat what

we have told. Correction if
there is something wrong or
miss

CONCLUSION

Remind the patient that he or she can

phone/drop in at the pharmacy if there are
further questions. Gives name card.
Offer to phone the patient in a few days
or provide written educational
leaflets/information a week to check up on
the patient
Remember to thank the patient for their
time

WHAT SHOULD BE AVOIDED IN

COUNSELING
NO MEDICAL JARGON:

Simplify the language when you talk to patients

Eg. heart attack instead of myocardial infarction

If the patient is medically trained, then feel free to

discuss his/her medications & well-being using medical
terms

Adjust your vocabulary to your audience

Eliminate movements like tapping, rocking,

leg-swinging
Try not to interrupt them & allow them to
finish what they want to say

WHAT SHOULD BE AVOIDED IN

COUNSELING
Eliminate movements like tapping,
rocking, leg-swinging
these are distracting!!
Try not to interrupt them & allow
them to finish what they want to
say