Understand the need for patient counselling Identify outcomes of effective patient counselling . Discuss the verbal and non-verbal communication skills required by a good counsellor. Better patient understanding of their illness and the role of medication in its treatment.

1. By, Vaishnavi janjal
Pharm d student
Govt.clg of pharmacy Aurangabad
PATIENT COUNSELLING

2. Learning Objectives
• Understand the need for patient counselling
• Identify outcomes of effective patient counselling
• Discuss the verbal and non-verbal communication skills
required by a good counsellor
• Describe the steps in the counselling process
• Identify the barriers to patient counselling and strategies
to overcome them
• List the main points of medication use which may be
discussed during counselling
• Identify patient groups who require counselling

3. What is Patient Counselling?
• Patient counselling is defined as providing mediction information orally or
in written form to the patient or their representitives on direction of
use,advice on side effects precaution, storage, diet and life style
modification.
• Patient counselling refers to the process of providing information, advice
and assistance to help patients use their medications appropriately.
• The information and advice is given by the pharmacist directly to the
patient or to the patient’s representative, and may also include
information about the patient’s illness or recommended lifestyle changes.
The information is usually given verbally, but may be supplemented with

4. Aim's of patient counselling
• Better patient understanding of their illness and the role of
medication in its treatment
• Improved medication adherence
• More effective drug treatment
• Reduced incidence of medication errors, adverse effects and
unnecessary healthcare costs
• Improved quality of life of the patients
• Better coping strategies for medication-related adverse effects
• Improved professional rapport between the patient and
pharmacist

5. Enter your title here
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Communication Skills for Effective Counselling
1) Verbal communication
Language
Tone
Volume
Speed
2) Non verbal communication
Body language
Movement
Proximity
Eye contact
Facial expression

6. COMMUNICATION DURING DRUG THERAPY
▸ Purpose of medication.
▸ How medication work.
▸ Dose and duration of therapy.
▸ Goals of therapy.
▸ Adverse effect and how to deal with them.
▸ Specific drug issues.

7. QUQLITIES OF A GOOD
COUNSELLOR
▸ Be a good listener.
▸ Be flexible.
▸ Be empathetic.
▸ Be non judgemental.
▸ Be tolerant.
▸ Communicate confidently.

8. Steps of Patient Counselling
Following are the step to be followed during patient
counselling:
1)preparing for the session.
2)opening of the session.
3)counselling content.
4)closing the session.

9. Step 1 - Preparing for the session
1.The success of counselling depends on the knowledge and skill of the counsellor.
The pharmacist should know as much as possible about the patient and his/her
treatment details.
2.In the hospital setting, this may be accomplished by referring to the patient’s case
notes. In the community pharmacy setting, sources of information include the patient
and their prescription, and in some cases, a record of previous dispensing for the
patient.
3.If the patient is receiving a medication which is unfamiliar to the pharmacist, then a
drug information reference should be consulted before counselling
commences.Another issue worth considering is the mental and physical state of the
patient.
4.If the patient is in a hurry, in pain or is not communicative, it is very difficult to
counsel the patient effectively. In such situations, the aims of counselling may need
to be modified, or with the patient’s agreement, the session may be postponed to a
later date.

10. Step 2 - Opening the session
1)The pharmacist should introduce himself/herself to the patient and treat
them by name.
2)The pharmacist should identify the purpose of the session very clearly. For
example, ‘Hello, Mr Sreenivas! I am Vinod, your pharmacist. I would like to
tell you about your medication. Do you have a few minutes to spend with
me?’
3) Pharmacist gather information from the patient disease, medication.Other
information may releavent include previous drug alleries,past medication
history, parsonal habbit such as diet, smoking, alcohol consumption etc.
4)Use open ended question, such as 'what did your doctor tell you about
your illness?', what do you know about your disease, 'can you tell me aboout
the symptoms',Etc.
5)During counselling, the pharmasist should avoid asking question directly in
embarrassing way

11. Step 3 - Counselling content
The counselling content is considered to be the heart of the counselling session. During this step, the
pharmacist explains to the patient about his or her medications and treatment regimen. Lifestyle
changes such as diet or exercise may also be discussed. Topics commonly covered include:
1. Name and strength of the medication
2. The reason why it has been prescribed (if known), or how it works
3. How to take the medication (how much and how often)
4. Expected duration of treatment
5. Expected benefits of treatment
6. Possible adverse effects
7. Possible medication or dietary interactions
8. Advice on correct storage
9. Minimum duration required to show therapeutic benefit
10. What to do if a dose is missed
11. Special monitoring requirements, for example, blood tests
12. Arrangements for obtaining further supplies

12. Step 4 - Closing the session
Before closing the session, it is essential to check the
patient’understanding. This can be assessed by feedback questions,
such as ‘Can you remember what this medication is for?’ or ‘For how
long should you take this medication?’. During the discussion, some
of the patient’s information needs may have been cleared, but the
patient may have new questions or doubts. It is therefore advisable
to finish the session by asking the patient ‘Do you have any
questions?’. Before final closure and if time permits, summarise the
main points in a logical order. If appropriate, the pharmacist can
supply their telephone number to encourage the patient to make
contact if they need further advice or information.

13. Conclusion
Patient counselling is an essential component of clinical
pharmacy practice in hospitals and in community pharmacy
settings. Counselling enhances the patients’ understanding
of their illness and its treatment, and may improve
adherence and therapeutic outcome. It allows pharmacists
to gain first-hand knowledge of medication use from the
patient’s perspective.

14. THANK YOU