Ongoing issues that can obstruct safety at the drugstore
From the article:
When a pharmacist dispenses a medication, especially a new one, it’s important to assure the patient has all the information they need to use the medication safely. For this reason, state boards of pharmacy in NJ, PA and DE have regulations on the books that require pharmacists to educate or “counsel” the patient. Yet, in most cases, when a prescription is dispensed patient actual counseling is only a veiled “offer” at best.
The effectiveness of patient counseling by a community pharmacist to detect and prevent medication errors, and its link to improved medication adherence and positive clinical outcomes, has been well documented in the literature. Yet studies place patient counseling rates at only 8% to 42% nationally. There’s no reason to think things are any different in the Delaware Valley. In fact, the next time you have a prescription filled, see for yourself. Or, the next time you shop at a CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid, etc., just observe what goes on at the pharmacy counter. This critical interaction between pharmacist and patient almost never takes place, even for medications that are more likely to cause harm if used in error – those that healthcare professionals refer to as high alert medications.
Imagine that … another medication safety issue in the news ….
Filed under: General Problems
Isn’t it a double standard though? Community pharmacies are accountable yet how do the “preferred provider” mail order, I mean, home delivery pharmacies counsel their patients on new prescriptions?
I live in Pa, and no one ever offers any counseling to me when I pick up meds. Of course I do not need it, but many patients do. I have even called some pharmacists or pharmacy techs out for not even bothering to ask me if I need to speak to the pharmacist about my medications. They always have some excuse. “She is a new Tech she must have forgotten”, ” Well, since you’ve taken this drug before we didn’t assume you would have questions “. Etc. It shouldn’t really matter if I’ve taken the meds before, they should be asking EVERY time someone picks up a script.
It has been that way since OBRA 1990, and the Federal mandate to counsel, became the federal mandate to offer to counsel…