Role of patient counseling in preventing medication errors

1. Patient Medication Counseling
Ph.Azza Al-Ghammari

2. Goals and Objectives
Goal: To review with the
pharmacist the steps and
importance of effective patient
medication counseling.
Objective: To obtain actual practice
in counseling patients in order for
the pharmacist to become a
more effective counselor

3. Outline
-Definition of counseling
-Method of providing patient education
-Barriers in patient counseling session
-Counseling regarding proper use of medicines
-Important Instructions before leaving pharmacy
-Communication skills in effective counseling
-Documentation of patient counseling

4. Definition of patient medication
counseling
Conversation between a pharmacist and a
patient about
prescription's intended purpose,
How to administer
Time of administration
Duration of use
Storage of drug
Allergies
Drug interaction
Side effects
diet and life style modifications,
provide information directed at encouraging
safe & appropriate use of medication,
thereby enhancing therapeutic outcomes

5. Methods of Providing Patient
Education
Verbal Education
Direct method-
Two persons involved :
sender and receiver

6. Written information
Package inserts
Labels on the cartons of the drugs,
Booklets and special material
developed by pharmacy staff or
companies.

7. Audio-visual methods
use of overhead
projectors,
slide projectors to improve
knowledge.

8. Information Dissipated to the Patient
-Medicine’s generic name and
brand name
-Dose and Dosage schedule,
-Route of administration
-Duration of therapy
-Indications to be followed
-Special precautions to be
taken
-Expiry date

9. Barriers in Patient Counseling
Session
Prescription desk between
the counsellor and the
patient
Lack of available time
Openness of the
counselling area
signifying no privacy

10. Cont.....
Noise :
constant ringing of
telephone bells especially
for hearing-impaired
patient

11. Counseling Regarding Proper use of
Medicines
1.Before using the medicines
A) Past history related to
disease or any drug intake
B) Allergic reactions to a drug
C) Major diseases like
diabetes, hypertension,
liver impairment, renal
impairment etc.
D) Pregnant or breast feeding

12. 2.Storage of medicines
A) Away from reach of
children
B) Storing medicines in a
cool and dark place
C) Preventing liquids
medicines from freezing
D) Discarding expired
medicine
E) Single dose injectables,
discarding remaining
amount after use

13. 3.Proper use of medicines
A) Advise about dosage form
B) Information regarding dosage schedule
C) Duration of therapy
D) Directions for use of drug
E) Precautions to be taken while using medicines
F) Side effects of medicines
G) Managing medicine and expiry date of
medicine

14. Important Instructions Before
Leaving Pharmacy
-Aim of treatment
-Administration schedule
-Maximum dose in 24 hours
-How long to continue medication
-What to be done if something goes wrong, if a
dose is missed
-How to recognize the adverse effects and
minimize their incidence

15. Cont…..
-Change in life style or dietary habits to be made
during therapy
-Intended use and expected action
-Discarding of unused medicines beyond an
expiry date
-Excipients having potential of producing
adverse effects

16. Communication Skills in Effective
Counseling
Good communication needs
constant efforts and innovation
demands time
positive thinking
financial resources
matched to knowledge, socio background,
interest, purpose and needs of the recipient

17. Effected by
attitudes,
expressions and
gestures i.e. the body language
Feedback, both immediate and subsequent

18. Work Done To Complement Verbal
Communication
Leaflets giving specific information
Designing of special treatment packs
Suitably labeled medication dose compartment
aids
Braille markings over large prints : clearly read
by blind and partially sighted patients

19. What are pictograms?

20. What are pictograms?
Descriptive symbols that illustrate information
(like the ones in road signals)
Used especially for:
Elderly persons with poor sight
Low literacy skills
Children

21. Significance of Pictograms?
Knowledge on medicine and diseases
Orally information : not understood
Written information:
Non-literacy serious impediment to written
communication
Visual aids effective for non-literate people

22. PICTOGRAMS USED FOR DIRECTIONS

24. PICTOGRAMS USED FOR STORAGE

26. PICTOGRAMS USED FOR PRECAUTIONS

28. Documentation of Patient Counseling
Keep record of all the major and ancillary
services provided to the patients by the
hospitals

29. Conclusion
-Pharmacist in a unique position to favorably
influence on the cognitive and motivation
elements of patient compliance
-several different educational methods to utilize.
-Not every method effective in every setting
-select those techniques which best suit specific
setting
and patient population must educate and motivate
to participate maximally in his drug therapy.

30. The ultimate goal of every physician, whenever
he writes a prescription,
patient to receive full therapeutic benefits of the
treatment that he has designed.
Goal can be achieved only
if pharmacists stress the education component
guide the patients towards more responsible
drug use.

31. Thank you