Don't make the mistake of counselling eye ointments the way you counsel drops.
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1. Pictured Counselling Cue Card: a free sample of our counselling reference
2. Patient Consultation: exactly what a pharmacist may say to a patient picking up this medication, with formatting to show where the information is coming from on the cue card
Clearly, there are nuances that may not be captured in this format. The goal here is to provide you with an example of how a pharmacist may counsel a patient. Basic counselling tactics (e.g. showing the patient the labeled medication as you read it, having the patient repeat the information in their own words, double checking allergies, and so on) may not be depicted in the interest of keeping the content concise.
RPh: Hi! Is this medication new for you?
Patient: Yes.
RPh: Ok. What has (prescriber) told you?
Patient: They said it would treat my pink eye.
RPh: Ok. This medication is called ERYTHROMYCIN, and you'll use it (as directed). It's in the family of what's called macrolide antibiotic eye ointments, but basically it will help treat the infection in your eye, which should be better after 2 or 3 days. Side effects may include burning and significantly blurred vision; please let us or your (prescriber) know if these become bothersome. When using this medication, wash your hands, hold the tube in your hands for a few minutes to warm it up so that it flows better, discard the first bit that comes out (as it is usually quite dry). Make sure not to touch your eye with the tube. In front of a mirror, pull down your lower lid, apply a strip in the sac that is formed, then close your eyes for around one minute to ensure it works well and at the same time does not get into your system too much. make sure you wait 5 minutes if you're using other eye drops, or 10 minutes if it's an eye ointment. Remove contacts and you can replace them 15 minutes after you use this medication. Store it at room temperature.
RPh: Did you have any questions?
Patient: No, thank you!
We hope you have found this useful, and please reply to this email with any feedback or topic suggestions you can. It will be the key to making this newsletter the best it can be.
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