Pharmacists' perceptions of their patient counseling activities

The counseling of patients regarding their drug therapy has been advocated as an important part of pharmacy practice. Both the need and potential for this counseling have been demonstrated. Yet, studies generally have been critical to the extent and quality of the counseling provided. This report describes counseling as it is perceived by community pharmacists who perform this activity. A mail survey, developed from interviews with pharmacists, was distributed to a random sample of Ohio community pharmacists. A net response of 76.8 percent (506 usable questionnaires) was achieved. Respondents have strong positive beliefs about counseling. When the service is provided by pharmacists, counseling sessions are usually brief, pharmacist-initiated, and one-way conversations to the patient. Although there is considerable variation as to the classes of drugs for which counseling is provided and the types of people who receive it, the components of counseling appear to be constant. Attempts to change or expand counseling activities may be compromised unless there is a common understanding among all parties involved of what counseling is. This report is one step toward achieving that understanding. It may be used by community pharmacists to measure and compare their counseling behaviors and beliefs with those of their peers and as a means of identifying possible areas for change in their own practices.