Ten Steps to Effective Physician Medication Counseling
"Talk About Prescriptions" Month
October 1986
- Build adequate time into each appointment to allow patient medicine education.
- Take written medicine histories.
- Give instructions first; move medication instructions from the end of the consult to the beginning.
- Repeat back instructions; ask the patient to repeat back the instruction to make sure the medication message is received; give a phone number to call for questions.
- Write it down; oral communication should be reinforced with written materials such as drug fact sheets.
- Be specific when writing labeling instructions; give patients certain times to take the medicine.
- Review patient's understanding of drug information during "exit interviews" before the patient leaves the office.
- Have patients bring medicines with them each visit.
- Have nurses or office staff monitor adherence with prescribed medicines.
- Develop a relationship with the patient's pharmacist, when practical, to monitor adherence and to reinforce information.
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