In order to address the practice requirements of pharmacists in the state, the Maharashtra State Pharmacy Council (MSPC) will be conducting patient counseling course (PCC) for registered pharmacists for the first time in Mumbai and Thane region. The course is scheduled to be conducted from October 18 to 20, 2013 in Mumbai.

The course which was earlier conducted for five days is now a three-day programme and includes sessions on hypertension, TB, asthma, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia and fever. It has been customized to cover both therapeutic and practice oriented topics for the pharmacists to develop patient counseling skills.

Says Kinnari Desai, clinical pharmacist and in-charge, MSPC's  Drug Information Centre (DIC), Mumbai, "Other unique features of the course include activities and hands on training on blood pressure measurement, glucometer demonstration, demonstration on how to use an insulin pen correctly, demonstration of different inhaler devices and breathometer. The course mainly focuses on interactive learning."

The other motivating attributes of the course which would be of help to pharmacists are case studies, group discussions and various allied activities such as crossword competition and a patient counseling competition. At the end of the three-day course, each group comprising of minimum five participants will be asked to enact as a patient and a pharmacist to exercise prescription practices. The best group adjudged in the process will be felicitated. This will help boost the pharmacists' confidence.

MSPC has trained 2500 registered pharmacists under PCC till date since its introduction in 2007 when it used to be conducted as a one week course. The course has earlier been conducted in Solapur and Sangli.

The course has been redesigned considering the important role a pharmacist plays in the patient's education. The course bears a lot of importance because communicating with patients is an important way to avoid medication errors. This also helps patients understand the intended effects as well as the side effects of drugs in the counseling process.