Maharashtra State Pharmacy Council (MSPC) will be conducting patient counselling course (PCC) for registered pharmacists from 25 to 27 July in Nanded district of Maharashtra to guide patients on lifestyle disorders. Till date, over 2500 pharmacists have been benefited from the PCC launched in May 2013.

.CEPs in Maharashtra got a boost as PCI has also recommended to customise CEPs in accordance to global regulatory demands and challenges for practising community pharmacists to get equipped with. A sum of Rs.10,000 for each CEP course is sanctioned by PCI.

PCC will be a three-day programme and will cover sessions on hypertension, TB, asthma, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia and fever. It has been customised to cover both therapeutic and practice oriented topics for the pharmacists to develop patient counselling skills.

Says Saili Masal, registrar, MSPC, "Unique features of PCC 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.

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.