Staff development in pharmacist-conducted patient education and counseling

A staff development program designed to improve pharmacists' counseling skills and to allow participants to achieve a minimum level of competence in counseling is described. The pharmacy service at a Department of Veterans Affairs medical center selected a workshop emphasizing the principles of the Indian Health Service (IHS) interactive counseling technique as the basis for a training program for staff pharmacists. The program was expanded to meet the pharmacy's counseling training needs. Handouts on 70 of the most frequently prescribed outpatient medications; administration techniques for oral and nasal inhalers and ophthalmic agents; and 32 common diseases were included in training manuals. Seven standard cases were developed for role-playing sessions, the purpose of which was to increase pharmacists' level of confidence in using the IHS technique and in counseling patients about common diseases and medications. Each pharmacist's counseling technique was assessed by a facilitator. Knowledge of commonly prescribed medications was assessed by an open-book written examination. The pharmacists' self-reported level of confidence in counseling patients about common diseases and medications was significantly improved after the training program. A counseling training program enabled pharmacists to achieve a minimum level of competence in counseling and increased their confidence in their counseling skills.