These are the concluding remarks in the Pharmacy Council’s advice to consumers. They fall under the question: What are the limitations of counter prescribing?
“(b) Determine the goal of treatment (therapeutic objective)
“The objective of the treatment recommended should be one of the following:
* Reducing or eliminating a symptom
* Preventing a disease or pregnancy
“(c) Recommending a treatment
Three basic categories of action should be considered, taking account of the patient’s own health beliefs and preferences:
*Give self-care advice and/reassurance without recommending a medicine or other treatment
*Recommend a medicine or other treatment
* Refer to someone else
* A combination of any of the above
“Assess the risks of the proposed course of action. Remember that in many instances a medicine may not be necessary and indeed may be contraindicated.
“(d) Provision of advice
The following information should be provided where appropriate:
* Information on why a particular course of action is being suggested and how best to achieve the intended outcomes
* Information on the condition as assessed during the consultation and any changes that need to be monitored. Information on any medicine or treatment recommended and how to use it
* A combination of any of the above
“(e) Quality assurance and audit
“In order to allow monitoring of the treatment that has been recommended and allow an audit of interventions, a record of the intervention should be made in appropriate cases on a patient’s medication record system.
“16. Why is it important that some medicines are prescribed and others sold over the counter?
“17. Is there a danger in buying prescription drugs over the counter?
“18. Explain a bit more what cytotec is and what it is used for
“19. Why is it dangerous to use when not prescribed? What are some of the side effects of misusing the drug?
“20. Other types of drug that are sold over the counter are the Opioid based tablets, such as Valium and Pethadine, which are very addictive.
“What are these drugs used for and what is the danger with them being sold without a prescription?
“21. And then there are the drugs such as Viagra and Cialis which are not only being sold over the counter but are being misused by men.
“What is the real purpose of drugs such as these?
“22. What are the consequences and side effects of misusing such drugs?
“23. In this regard we can also talk a bit about date rape drugs. What is a date rape drug?
“Emergency Contraception
“The FDA considers these products to be OTC substances for women aged 17 or over, but prescription drugs for younger women. To enforce this restriction and to provide counselling and education on proper use, an agreement between the manufacturer and the FDA requires that these drugs are stored behind the pharmacy counter. Women may obtain the medication without a prescription after providing proof of age to pharmacy staff and receiving any necessary patient education.
“Let us now look at a feature on Pharmacy prepared by Miss Nicola Butts…
“What are some of the questions a consumer needs to ask the pharmacist?
* Why are you recommending this medicine?
* How much medicine should I give my child?
* How often should I give my child this medicine?
* What effect should this medicine have on my child’s symptoms?
* Will this medicine cause any side effects?
* Is there anything that my child should avoid eating or doing while taking this medicine?
* How long to continue taking this medicine
* How much to take and how often to take it
* Name (generic name and brand name)
* What to do if you experience side effects
* Reason for taking the medicine
* Special instructions (for example, taking it at bedtime or with meals)
* How will I know if the medicine is working?
* What does the medicine do?
* When and how should I take the medicine?
* Should I avoid any activities while I’m taking the medicine?
* Are there any other medicines, foods or drinks I should avoid while taking the medicine?
“You now better understand the role of the pharmacist, your role as a consumer, and dangers of buying prescription drugs over the counter, among other things.”
