How to Counsel OTCs Flashcards

1
Q

How important is body position in the OTC aisle?

A

positioning is something subtle but still think about it
just make sure the patient knows you are interested

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2
Q

What is our desired outcome with OTC counselling?

A

to be the best OTC counselors on the planet

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3
Q

True or false: what you say is more important than how you say it

A

false
content and process are equally important

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4
Q

What are the two main skills we need as OTC counselors?

A

drug knowledge and interactive skills

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5
Q

What is a question you should always ask when OTC counseling?

A

what have you tried so far?

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6
Q

What are the three typical ways that a patient will initiate an OTC encounter?

A

describing a symptom
request a product
ask a specific question

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7
Q

What are the steps in OTC counseling?

A
  1. who is the patient
  2. seen a doctor?
  3. assess symptoms
  4. develop a tentative course of action
  5. inquire about health status
  6. state your recommendation
  7. provide info on proper use
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8
Q

What does the SCHOLAR acronym stand for

A

Symptoms
Characteristics
History
Onset
Location
Aggravating factors
Remitting factors

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9
Q

What is an example of a situation where you dont have to ask who the patient is in OTC counselling?

A

“I have x, what will help?”

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10
Q

If a patient states that they have seen a physician for their problem, what should we do?

A

PROBE
how long ago was consultation and what was recommended (if anything)

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11
Q

How can time be saved by asking a patient if they have seen a doctor?

A

can save a consult from getting deep, especially if the patient was sent to pick out a product the doctor recommended

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12
Q

What is a possible consequence with raising the issue of MD contact?

A

unwarranted seriousness to the encounter

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13
Q

When discussing symptoms, what type of question should we start with?

A

open-ended questions and then move to close-ended questions
tell me more about x….

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14
Q

True or false: when you get asked for OTC help, you should move to the OTC product section

A

true
this can help you gather your thoughts

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15
Q

True or false: it is better to ask generic questions than condition-specific ones

A

false
it is better to ask condition-specific questions

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16
Q

What is differential diagnosis?

A

the process of taking information and deciding what the most likely cause is

17
Q

Why is step 4 deemed as tentative?

A

the possible course of action has not been verbalized yet to the patient

18
Q

What is the general goal of step 4?

A

the pharmacist should have a good idea of what they are likely to recommend (this also depends on step 5)

19
Q

What is the consensus on touch?

A

its either in your system or its not
if its not natural, it comes off as creepy

20
Q

How does a tentative course of action set up the stage for step 5?

A

it sets the stage for most focused questioning

21
Q

What are some important things to ask when assessing the patients health status?

A

on any other medications?
any other conditions to consider?

22
Q

True or false: it is okay to start off an OTC counsel by asking about allergies, other medication use, etc

A

false (wait until step 5)

23
Q

Is it sufficient to stop when you have asked an elder “are you in good health?” and they say “yes”?

A

no
probe with elders

24
Q

What are the 4 forms of recommendation?

A

re-assurance (wait and see0
non-drug measure
OTC medication
MD referral

25
Q

If you have 45 seconds, what is more important, getting the right drug or how to use the drug?

A

getting the right drug

26
Q

How many side effects should you mention?

A

explain 2-3 well rather than doing 6 poorly

27
Q

What are pieces of info to provide in step 7?

A

how much to apply/how many to take
use for how long
what to expect
what to do if treatment fails

28
Q

Who should hold the package in the OTC aisle and why?

A

the patient
it takes the pressure away from you

29
Q

When should we refer the patient to an MD?

A

symptoms are severe
symptoms are persisting
young/elderly

30
Q

What are the main things we want to identify when assessing?

A

symptoms, severity, duration
what has been tried so far

31
Q

Is the following an open or close ended question: you said you have heartburn. When and how bad?

A

close ended

32
Q

What are some nuances to be aware of when assessing symptoms?

A

the use of open and close ended questions
assess the patients choice of wording
watch for non-verbal information

33
Q

A middle aged man comes in asking for your help in the OTC aisle. What are the questions you should ask when you reach step 5?

A

are you in good health?
on any other medication?