What is the pharmacist's responsibility regarding patient counseling for new and refill prescriptions?

The pharmacist's responsibility to offer counseling to the patient or caregiver is essential in ensuring that patients understand their medications, how to take them properly, potential side effects, and any interactions with other medications or food. This practice is rooted in the pharmacist’s role as a healthcare provider who is not only responsible for dispensing medications but also for educating patients to promote safe and effective use of those medications.

Offering counseling is particularly important for both new and refill prescriptions. With new prescriptions, the patient is often less familiar with the medication and may have a lot of questions. Refills, on the other hand, present an opportunity to review the patient's ongoing treatment, address any concerns about adherence, and assess whether the patient has experienced any side effects or issues that need to be discussed.

Counseling should be comprehensive and tailored to the needs of the patient, reinforcing the pharmacist's role in contributing to better health outcomes by empowering patients with the necessary knowledge regarding their treatments.