Pharmacy  

Why should I counsel?

Pharmacists play a powerful role in disease prevention and health maintenance. In such health behaviors as smoking cessation, the counseling and assistance of pharmacists is invaluable to patients. Pharmacists provide guidance regarding physician prescriptions and recommendations by delivering information and support to the patient in a non-clinical setting:

Multiple studies have shown that pharmacists' messages are well respected and many times adhered to by customers.  Working with the government of New Brunswick, Canada, the Canadian Association of Chain Drug Stores (CACDS) studied the benefits of ongoing pharmacist services over a year.  Twenty-one area pharmacies were involved, and a total of 262 patients with either asthma or gastrointestinal disease participated.  The pharmacist’s role was to provide advice, education on drug use and lifestyle issues relating to the customer’s condition, along with continuing follow-up.  Ninety-five percent of the participants were satisfied with the program and a majority wanted to see this type of pharmacist guidance included in their drug plan benefits. According to Dr. Dennis Furlong, the Minister of Health and Wellness for New Brunswick, Canada, “The results demonstrate conclusively that pharmacists play a very important role in delivering quality health care cost-effectively.” [101]

Another study sponsored by the makers of the HIV drug, Combivir, show that pharmacist-focused intervention provides several benefits.  Patients enrolled in a hospital pharmacy counseling program reported 77.1% adherence and a 63.4% undetectable viral load rate, versus 52.4% and 55.6%, respectively, in patients receiving conventional care. In one study of 186 patients receiving 3TC/AZT and indinavir, adherence was significantly improved (P=0.005) and viral load significantly decreased (p=0.04) in patients receiving hospital pharmacy intervention [102].  These results were confirmed in another study of 122 patients, in which a significantly higher proportion of patients achieved an undetectable viral load after pharmacist counseling.

Pharmacists can play a very important role by educating the public about the folic acid needs of various segments of the population, because patients view them as respected information resources. Mr. David Pruce, an audit development fellow with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, conducted a study of 22 pharmacies [100]. It showed that of 281 brief interventions on smoking in one month, 31% of people agreed to develop a strategy to quit smoking, bought nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) or accepted a referral to a specialist clinic. A total of 65% made a positive response towards quitting" [100]. 

These studies, and many more like them, illustrate your important role as a pharmacist in providing health care and prevention information.  Pharmacists are presented with many opportunities to counsel patients about folic acid.

Pharmacists have an excellent opportunity to counsel patients about folic acid in supplement form. Many patients will be inquiring about vitamins, and folic acid can be promoted as part of a healthy supplement regimen. 

In addition, home pregnancy tests, home ovulation tests and fertility drugs are all products that should be a red flag in your mind about the need to discuss folic acid. When customers ask about the symptoms of pregnancy, take a few moments of your consultation to relay the benefits of folic acid. It could improve their health and well-being. If an individual is concerned about taking or swallowing pills, or has weight gain concerns, be conscious of their concerns and advise them accordingly.