Prior to providing patient education, the patient medical record should be reviewed.
The patient should be counselled related to their overall pharmaceutical care including:
- Safe use of their medications
- Effective use of their medications
- Potential drug/drug interactions or drug/food interactions
- Herbal or botanical supplement use
- Generally, verbal instructions are given to the patient
- The patient should be asked to verbalize instructions relative to demonstrating their knowledge of the educational information.
- Patients and/or families are supplied with printed material about medications to supplement educational efforts.
- The Nursing, Pharmacy Department and the Dietetics will work together to educate patients and/or families about potential drug-nutrient interactions.
- The Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee will maintain a list of potential drug-nutrient interactions which present significant risk to patients.
- The patient and/or family will receive appropriate education about medications provided at discharge.
- When it is anticipated that a patient will be discharged on a complex regime of drug therapy, education shall begin prior to discharge.
- For complex therapy a program of self-medication teaching as part of discharge planning is advised:
- Documentation of education about discharge medications will be recorded on the medical record.
- Specific Situations that will require patient education can be (but are not all-inclusive):
- Drops: Specify which orifice (ear, eye, oral) and the number of drops to be given.
- Skin creams: Specify the area of skin on which application is required and the amount to be applied on a given occasion.
- Insulin and Insulin Syringes: Specify 40 Unit/ml or 100 Units/ml
- Pediatrics: dose — mg/kg/day in 3 divided doses is better written as — mg thrice-a-day factoring in the patient’s weight. Consultant/s or House Officers should avoid leaving that responsibility on the nurse/pharmacist.
- Emergencies: Write “STAT” next to the prescribed item