Who is the medicine for?

It is easy to fall into the trap of assuming that the customer standing in front of you asking for advice or wanting to purchase medication is the person who is ill and will be taking the medicine. However, it is not good practice to assume this; in fact this assumption could be considered dangerous. Many people enter the pharmacy on behalf of others, whether it is a parent for their child, a child for their parent, a carer, friend or work colleague and this part of the questioning technique helps you to identify who the medication is for.

Consider the scenario of an adult requesting a medication and the counter assistant not confirming who the medicine is for and simply selling it. The medicine could then be administered to a baby, young child, elderly person or person who takes other medication with potentially serious consequences.

If the customer standing in front of you isn’t the person that will be taking the medication don’t worry if they can’t answer all of the questions. It is important that you gather sufficient information to ensure the sale is safe. Advise the customer that the person taking the medication should always read the patient information leaflet (PIL) and if they are unsure about anything they should contact the pharmacist. Alternatively, if the customer cannot provide you with sufficient information ask the person that will be taking the medication to contact the pharmacy before selling the medicines.

Remember, if the medication is being purchased by, or for a person who falls into one of the referral categories or you are unsure about the sale, you should consult the pharmacist.