MPJE clarification questions - calling retail folks!

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amazinglycrazy

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I don't have much experience in retail pharmacy, so I need some expertise help from retail pharmacists regarding some MPJE questions that have been boggling my mind. Please help if you can!

1. So, I know that actual counseling and an offer to counsel is NOT the same thing. So what is an offer to counsel? I know pharmacists can offer to counsel. But can pharmacy technicians also offer to counsel? In the law book, it says "pharmacist's designee can offer to counsel" but I don't really know who pharmacist's designee includes.
2. When a pharmacy technician asks a patient whether they have any questions for the pharmacist about their medications, is that an offer to counsel? And is that appropriate (are pharm techs allowed to provide an offer to counsel)?
3. C-II controlled substances cannot be refilled. With that in mind, if a prescriber writes a prescription for a 30 day supply with 1 refill, should the pharmacist dispense the 30 day supply only or 60 day supply (total prescription amount)?

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1. So, I know that actual counseling and an offer to counsel is NOT the same thing. So what is an offer to counsel? I know pharmacists can offer to counsel. But can pharmacy technicians also offer to counsel? In the law book, it says "pharmacist's designee can offer to counsel" but I don't really know who pharmacist's designee includes.

Answer:

Required counseling: new prescription, new patient, and/or change in original prescription (ex. change of dose, route, frequency, drug, etc)

Offer of counseling: when it is NOT a new prescription, new patient or change in original prescription. This is for a refill (again, with no changes).

2. When a pharmacy technician asks a patient whether they have any questions for the pharmacist about their medications, is that an offer to counsel? And is that appropriate (are pharm techs allowed to provide an offer to counsel)?

Answer: This is an offer to counsel. Technicians DO NOT possess the training to counsel or make any kind of clinical judgement. Per NYS, only pharmacist and interns may counsel.

3. C-II controlled substances cannot be refilled. With that in mind, if a prescriber writes a prescription for a 30 day supply with 1 refill, should the pharmacist dispense the 30 day supply only or 60 day supply (total prescription amount)?

Answer: 30 day supply only - negates the refill.
 
I don't have much experience in retail pharmacy, so I need some expertise help from retail pharmacists regarding some MPJE questions that have been boggling my mind. Please help if you can!

1. So, I know that actual counseling and an offer to counsel is NOT the same thing. So what is an offer to counsel? I know pharmacists can offer to counsel. But can pharmacy technicians also offer to counsel? In the law book, it says "pharmacist's designee can offer to counsel" but I don't really know who pharmacist's designee includes.
2. When a pharmacy technician asks a patient whether they have any questions for the pharmacist about their medications, is that an offer to counsel? And is that appropriate (are pharm techs allowed to provide an offer to counsel)?
3. C-II controlled substances cannot be refilled. With that in mind, if a prescriber writes a prescription for a 30 day supply with 1 refill, should the pharmacist dispense the 30 day supply only or 60 day supply (total prescription amount)?

You don't need experience in retail pharmacy to answer these questions if you paid 6 figures to learn this information in the program you're in...
 
You don't need experience in retail pharmacy to answer these questions if you paid 6 figures to learn this information in the program you're in...

In school, we only learned so much in our law class. But retail pharmacists deal with scenarios like these on a daily basis, so it becomes like second-nature to them.. it takes me a bit to imagine myself in these scenarios. You didn't have to respond in a demeaning way, I'm just reaching out to get more insight/clarification!
 
In school, we only learned so much in our law class. But retail pharmacists deal with scenarios like these on a daily basis, so it becomes like second-nature to them.. it takes me a bit to imagine myself in these scenarios. You didn't have to respond in a demeaning way, I'm just reaching out to get more insight/clarification!

i'm not trying to be demeaning but they usually address these in law class...if they didnt, they did a poor job. anyyways, the post above pretty much answers it
 
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