Patient Counseling and Education
The duty
Counseling is a pharmacist function triggered by dispensing each new prescription: the pharmacy must make the offer, and the counseling itself must be delivered by a pharmacist (or an intern under supervision). Technicians may manage logistics and ask whether the patient has questions, but they may not perform the counseling.
What good counseling covers
Drug name and purpose, directions and duration, special precautions, common adverse effects, significant interactions, self-monitoring, missed doses, storage, and the refill process. Use plain language and teach-back, and arrange interpreter services when needed. Sensitive topics - controlled substances, naloxone, HIV therapy - deserve a private area.
Documentation
Record that counseling was offered and either provided or declined. Documentation protects the pharmacy and demonstrates the standard of care was met.
Traps: assuming printed leaflets satisfy the requirement (they supplement but do not replace the offer); assuming counseling is required only when the patient asks; assuming a transferred or mail-order prescription escapes counseling; assuming a technician's brief “any questions?” check is sufficient counseling.
Rule of thumb: “New prescription, new offer. Refill, offer only if the patient asks or something has changed” - a dose change, a new interaction, a new diagnosis, or a new caregiver.