Undergraduate students’ experiences in counselling patients using long-term medication – the Effects Use Problems Checkups (EUPC) method

Authors

  • Leena Saastamoinen The Social Insurance Institution, Helsinki
  • Elisa Heikkilä University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio
  • Paavo Tanskanen University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio

Keywords:

Community Pharmacy Services, Counselling, Hypertension, Patients, Long-term Medication Users, Pharmacy Students

Abstract

Background: Monitoring the patient’s condition is not common in pharmacies and new tools to learn it are needed. Aims: To analyse the suitability of the EUPC method (a memory aid for counselling long-term medication users: Effect, Use, Problems and Checkups) for learning patient counselling in pharmacies.

Method: Pharmacy students tested the EUPC method and recorded their experiences in an internet questionnaire. The students’ answers were analysed using content analysis and quantification.

Results: About 90 % of the students regarded the EUPC method as well suited for counselling patients with hypertension and other long-term diseases. Nearly 65% of the students covered all of the counselling questions and 96% at least three of the counselling questions. The method was regarded as comprehensive and easy to use.

Conclusion: The EUPC method is well suited for learning patient counselling and use of the method ensures that the content of patient counselling will cover most important topics. 

Author Biographies

Leena Saastamoinen, The Social Insurance Institution, Helsinki

Research Department

Elisa Heikkilä, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio

School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences

Paavo Tanskanen, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio

School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences

References

Airaksinen, M. (1996) Customer feedback as a tool for improving pharmacy services in Finland. Kuopio, Finland: University of Kuopio.

Azzopardi, L.M. (2000) Validation instruments for the community pharmacy. Pharmaceutical care for the third millennium. Malta: University of Malta.

Darbishire, P., Plake, K., Nash, C. & Shepler B. (2009) Instructional design and assessment. Active-learning laboratory session to teach the four M’s of diabetes care. American Journal of Pharmacy Education, 73, 1-9.

Edwards, C. & Stillman, P. (1993) Minor illness or major disease? Introduction. Pharmaceutical Journal, 250, 463-464.

Hughes, C.M., Hawwa, A.F., Scullin, C., Anderson, C., Bernsten, C.B., Björnsdottir, I., Cordina, M.A., Alves da Costa, F., De Wulf, I., Eichenberger, P., Foulon, V. Henman, M.C., Hersberger, K.E., Schaefer, M.A., Søndergaard, B., Tully, M.P., Westerlund, T. & McElnay, J. (2010) Provision of pharmaceutical care by community pharmacists: A comparison across Europe. Pharmacy World and Science, 32, 472-487.

Hugtenburg, J.G., Blom, A.T.G., Gopie, C.T.W. & Beckeringh, J.J. (2004) Communicating with patients the second time they present their prescription at the pharmacy: discovering patients’ drug-related problems. Pharmacy World and Science, 26, 328- 332.

Hyvärinen, M., Tanskanen, P., Katajavuori, N. & Isotalus, P. (2008) Feedback in patient counseling training – pharmacy students’ opinions. Patient Education and Counselling, 70, 363- 369.

Hyvärinen, M., Tanskanen, P., Katajavuori, N. & Isotalus, P. (2010) A method for teaching communication in pharmacy in authentic work situations. Communication Education, 59, 124- 145.

Hyvärinen, M., Tanskanen, P., Katajavuori, N. & Isotalus, P. (2012) Evaluating the use of criteria for assessing profession- specific communication skills in pharmacy. Studies in Higher Education, 37, 291-308.

Kansanaho, H. (2006) Implementation of the principles of patient counseling into practice in Finnish community pharmacies. Helsinki, Finland: University of Helsinki.

Katajavuori, N., Valtonen, S., Pietilä, K., Pekkonen, O., Lindblom-Ylänne, S. & Airaksinen, M. (2002) Myths behind patient counseling – a study of Finnish community pharmacists. Journal of Social and Administrative Pharmacy, 19, 129-136.

Lewis, R., Lasack, N., Lambert, B. & Connor S. (1997) Patient counseling – a focus on maintenance therapy. American Journal of Health System Pharmacy, 54, 2084-2098.

Students’ experiences of EUPC method 5

Li Wan Po, A. (1991) ENCORE: A structured approach to responding symptoms. Pharmaceutical Journal, 248, 158-161.

Puspitasari, H., Aslani, P. & Krass, I. (2009) A review of counseling practices on prescription medicines in community pharmacies. Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy, 5, 197-210.

Puumalainen, I., Peura, S., Kansanaho, H., Benrimoj, C. & Airaksinen, M. (2005) Progress in patient counseling practices in Finnish community pharmacies. International Journal of Pharmacy Practice,13, 149-156.

Rutter, P. M. (2005) Final year MPharm students approach to questioning when responding to symptoms. Pharmacy Education, 5, 45-51.

Saastamoinen, L.K., Klaukka, T., Ilomäki, J. & Enlund, H. (2009) An intervention to develop repeat prescribing in community pharmacy. Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics, 34, 261-265.

Shah, B. & Chewing, B. (2006) Conceptualizing and measuring pharmacist-patient communication: A review of published studies. Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy, 2, 153 -185.

Tully, M.C., Beckman-Gyllenstrand, A. & Bernsten, C.B. (2011) Factors predicting poor counseling about prescription medicines in Swedish community pharmacies. Patient Education and Counselling, 83, 3-6.

Vainio, K., Airaksinen, M., Hyykky, T. & Enlund H. (2002) Effect of therapeutic class on counseling in community pharmacies. Annals of Pharmacotherapy, 36, 781-786.

Villaume, W.A., Berger, B.A. & Barker, B.N. (2006) Innovations in teaching. learning motivational interviewing: Scripting a virtual patient. American Journal of Pharmacy Education, 70, Article 33.

Watson, M.C. & Bond C.M. (2004) The evidence-based supply of non-prescription medicines: Barriers and beliefs. International Journal of Pharmacy Practice, 12, 65-72.

Downloads

Published

25-03-2013

How to Cite

Saastamoinen, L., Heikkilä, E., & Tanskanen, P. (2013). Undergraduate students’ experiences in counselling patients using long-term medication – the Effects Use Problems Checkups (EUPC) method. Pharmacy Education, 13. Retrieved from https://pharmacyeducation.fip.org/pharmacyeducation/article/view/266

Issue

Section

Research Article