Section 1330.65  Patient Counseling

a)         Upon receipt of a new or refill prescription, a prospective drug review or drug utilization evaluation shall be performed. An offer to counsel shall be made on all prescriptions.  If the offer to counsel is accepted, the pharmacist or the student pharmacist, as directed and supervised by the pharmacist, shall counsel the patient or patient's caregiver, with such counseling to include those matters listed in subsections (a)(1) through (a)(10) of this Section that, in the exercise of his or her professional judgment, the pharmacist considers significant as well as other matters the pharmacist considers significant:

1)         Name and description of medication;

2)         Dosage form and dosage;

3)         Route of administration;

4)         Duration of therapy;

5)         Techniques for self-monitoring;

6)         Proper storage;

7)         Refill information;

8)         Actions to be taken in cases of missed doses;

9)         Special directions and precautions for preparation, administration and use;

10)       Common severe side effects, or adverse effects, or interactions and therapeutic contraindications that may be encountered, including their avoidance, and the action required if they occur.

b)         If in the pharmacist's professional judgment oral counseling is not practicable for the patient or patient's caregiver, the pharmacist shall use alternative forms of patient information.  When used in place of oral counseling, alternative forms of patient information shall advise the patient or caregiver that the pharmacist may be contacted for consultation in person at the pharmacy by toll-free telephone service or collect telephone service.

c)         The pharmacist is responsible for maintaining patient profiles as defined in Section 3(s) of the Act.   A reasonable effort shall be made to obtain information to include, but not limited to, the following:

1)         Name, date of birth (age), gender, address and telephone number;

2)         Individual history, where significant, including disease state(s), known allergies, drug interactions, a comprehensive list of medications and relevant devices; and

3)         Pharmacist's comments relevant to the individual's therapy.

d)         Patient identifiable information obtained by the pharmacist or the pharmacist's designee for the purpose of patient record maintenance, prospective drug review, drug utilization review and patient counseling shall be considered confidential information, as defined in Section 3(q) of the Act.  A reasonable effort should be made to provide counseling based on such confidential information in a discreet, supportive, informative and non- threatening manner.

e)         A pharmacist in a health care facility licensed under the Hospital Licensing Act or the Nursing Home Care Act shall comply with the requirements of this Section when medications are provided by the pharmacy upon the patient's discharge from the hospital or facility.

f)          The pharmacist shall not be required to counsel a patient or patient's caregiver when the patient or patient's caregiver refuses to accept the offer to counsel.  A patient's or patient's caregiver's refusal to accept counseling shall be documented.  The absence of any record of a refusal to accept the offer to counsel shall be presumed to signify that the offer was accepted and that counseling was provided.

(Source:  Added at 21 Ill. Reg. 12600, effective August 29, 1997)