Patient counselling profile in a Finnish pharmacy.

The present study assessed the patient satisfaction on Finnish community pharmacy services with a special focus on patient counselling. Two different study methods were performed in one Finnish community pharmacy to clarify the patient counselling profile. In autumn 1996, 200 of local citizens were interviewed and a questionnaire has been filled by the pharmacists after counselled episodes. The patient opinion of counselling showed that counselling by pharmacists is beneficial for their medication. Furthermore, pharmacists seem to be more active with the patients receiving prescription drugs. According to our results pharmacists should adjust more counselling to every patients needs. Thus, pharmaceutical information and support of self-care were found to be important areas in patient counselling.