Several studies have highlighted the value of supervision of pharmacist in the therapeutic outcome,[11] so to support patient, pharmacist should ensure about the appropriateness of the pharmacotherapy plan and in addition to that patient must be aware of the costs, side effect and monitoring plan regarding the …

Counseling is one focus area in which pharmacists can use their clinical pharmacy knowledge to directly increase the probability of positive therapeutic outcomes.

Pharmacists provide optimal management of medication for chronic diseases such as diabetes, asthma, hypertension, etc. The collaboration of healthcare professionals, such as physicians and pharmacists, can help to ensure that patients properly take their medications as prescribed and avoid any harmful effects.

Pharmacists have a unique opportunity to promote good health through assuring the quality use of medicines. One of the most important tools to achieve this is medication counseling. Counseling plays an important role in enhancing medication adherence and optimizing medication therapy.

Counseling is a collaborative effort between the counselor and client. Professional counselors help clients identify goals and potential solutions to problems which cause emotional turmoil; seek to improve communication and coping skills; strengthen self-esteem; and promote behavior change and optimal mental health.

Potential Benefits of Counseling

• improved communication and interpersonal skills.
• greater self-acceptance and self-esteem.
• ability to change self-defeating behaviors/habits.
• better expression and management of emotions, including anger.
• relief from depression, anxiety or other mental health conditions.

The scope of pharmacy practice includes more traditional roles such as compounding and dispensing of medications, and it also includes more modern services related to health care, including clinical services, reviewing medications for safety and efficacy, and providing drug information.

As medicine experts, pharmacists hold the responsibility to deliver effective, safe, and quality medicines and services to achieve optimal health outcomes. Competency in their discipline and up-to-date knowledge, therefore, are pharmacists’ core in tailoring information and advice to their patients.

It helps them to identify where to go, what to do and how to do for post accomplishment of their goals. It is a continuous process which starts right from childhood, adolescence and continues over in old age. It is assistance to the individual in the process of development rather than the direction of that development.

It not only leads to a clearer understanding about questions and concerns each patient may have, but also plays an important role in underlining the necessity of medication adherence. As interns and future pharmacists, it is vital that we understand, and appreciate, the role that we can play in managing a patient’s health.

Patient counseling at the pharmacy counter is an acquired skill. Yes, filling prescriptions accurately and expeditiously is paramount to the community pharmacy profession; however, assuring that the patient understands the therapy is just as critical.

We all need some sort of tool to help us remember to cover all of the important medication counseling aspects of the specific drug. The acronym I use is DRUG, and it goes as follows: D osage: I discuss the dose of the medication, how it should be taken, any specific dosage timing issues, and what to do if the patient misses a dose.

Student pharmacists can play an important role in developing this relationship by taking time to counsel each patient with attentiveness and empathy. A study published by Ohio State University observed how pharmacists and patients engaged in communication about personal health within an independent pharmacy setting.